Much like the mise-en-scene of Winter’s Bone, the sound design is also embedded with a ‘natural’ element. For instance no non-diegetic sound is present until the end of the sequence when Ree makes the decision to look for her father. This music is intense and suspenseful which highlights the characters’ actions and the emotional repercussions those actions may create. The music starts the moment when Ree defiantly states that she will find Jessup and gradually builds as Sheriff Baskin becomes nervous when he notices Blond Milton surveying him threateningly. The music indicates to the audience a sense of danger for Ree, as she must battle numerous obstacles, each with their own risk, to save her family. The soundtrack and scoring cues also assume a warm presence, sounding substantial and alive because there are no sampled or…show more content… it also feels totally true to its own specific place and time (the Ozark hills of Southwest Missouri where methamphetamines—also called “crank” and “crystal meth”—are the current drugs of choice). The sound design is also innovative in the way background noise drowns out Ree’s reaction, which makes it even more powerful. It also showcases excellent use of music and subtle sound effects to add a delicate and unobtrusive element of depth; it gives us a sense of the harsh beauty of the Ozarks Mountains and helps viewers focus on the raw quality of the characters and their reactions. Additionally, the most prominent sounds (apart from dialogue) are those natural and realistic sounds related to the landscape and the diegetic sound connects very heavily with the palpable sense of winter that cinematographer Michael McDonough created. These include the crunching of the scrabble and dirt on the ground, the whistle of the wind, and the squealing of