Bone Tomahawk (2015)
Horror, Western
Directed By: S. Craig Zahler
The great thing about horror is that over time the genre has expanded to include movies that can also fit into many other different styles of film. We have horror-comedies, action horror, horror-romance, etc. but one area we simply haven't had enough of is the horror-western. We see so little films in this sub-genre that many people don't even know it exists, and that simply just sucks. Thankfully S. Craig Zahler's newest film Bone Tomahawk is here to satisfy that unique craving. Working foremost as a western this film also uses many horror elements to create a clever and unique story that is both beautiful to watch and a ton of fun to experience.
The basis of the movie is quite simple, living in Frontier America is a dangerous life. We have been stealing land from the Natives and slowly moving into the western territories, but not every Native is so easy to get rid of. When a local doctor, sheriff, and recently arrested criminal are abducted by a tribe of cannibalistic, cave dwelling natives a small group of locals set out to go and find them. The two remaining sheriff's in the town and the husband of the abducted doctor realize they have no choice but to find their lost friends and protect the remaining population from the same fate as them. What they find at the end of their trail is more horrifying than anything they ever thought possible.
The western frontier is an incredible setting for horror and it needs to be used more. People tend to forget that the time where our country was expanding west was some of the most dangerous and anarchistic times of our history. There was little to no law when territories were first expanding westward, and if there were only a few people were there to enforce it. They also had no knowledge of the land they were impeding on or the people who had claimed it before them and in turn this led to many ambushes by native forces. This is all used in Bone Tomahawk to create and intense and unpredictable landscape for the film.
The film isn't necessarily scary as you might expect from a horror film but it uses plenty of genre elements to create a tense atmosphere where anything could happen at anytime to anyone. The film sets the tone immediately when it opens on a drifter opening the throat of an innocent traveler and never lets up from there. The last act of the film is brutal and gory in a way we don't see in most modern horror films. It's the old west where everything is dirty and grimy and the deaths in this film are no different as they are never clean and always viscous.
The middle of the film is carried by the acting as this is where the movie works mostly as a true western. Our band of would-be rescuers are on the trail to find their lost friends and it's the acting that keeps you interested. Kurt Russell is at his best as the brute Sheriff who runs the town (and his mustache is now a national treasure) and Patrick WIlson reminds us why he needs to be in more movies with his performance as crippled husband. It's Richard Jenkins though that truly stands out within this film, so much so that I had no idea it was even him playing the part until the credits rolled. His performance as the "back up Sheriff" named Chicory is where the true heart of this movie comes from, he gives an incredible and emotional performance that completely owns this picture. It was also nice to see horror vets Sid Haig and David Arquette show up with a small cameo in the beginning of the movie.
This may not be one of the best horror films of the year but it is definitely one of the most unique. The horror-western is a niche sub-genre but those that find interest in it will thoroughly enjoy this flick. It's awesome to see Kurt Russell back in the leading chair and he gives us a small glimpse into what we can expect from him later this year in Tarantino's The Hateful Eight. With Halloween right around the corner this is a cool treat for horror fans, check out Bone Tomahawk either in theaters or on VOD now.
As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!
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