Western

Horror

Drama

Bone Tomahawk

Caliber Media Company

The Fyzz

Realmbuilders Productions

Twilight Riders

The Jokers Films

Platinum Platypus

RLJ Entertainment

France

United States of America

United Kingdom

English

Kurt Russell

Patrick Wilson

Richard Jenkins

Matthew Fox

Lili Simmons

David Arquette

Fred Melamed

Evan Jonigkeit

Sid Haig

Maestro Harrell

James Tolkan

Kathryn Morris

Zahn McClarnon

Michael Emery

Jeremy Tardy

Michael Paré

Sean Young

Jamison Newlander

Erick Chavarria

Omar Leyva

David Midthunder

Geno Segers

Alex Meraz

Raw Leiba

Robert Allen Mukes

Brandon Molale

Eddie Spears

Jay Tavare

Mario Pérez

S. Craig Zahler

Benji Bakshi

Matthew Maisto

Scott Fort

Joseph Gabay

Jeff Herriott

Fred Raskin

Gregory Zuk

Amanda Mortlock

Jon D. Wagner

Dallas Sonnier

Robert Jones

Greg D'Auria

David Gilbery

Jack Heller

Freddy Waff

Wayne Marc Godfrey

Chantal Filson

Jason Wittenberg

Pete Sussi

Jocelyn Hublau

Jonathan Bruno

Daniel Brennan

Brent Johnson

Brian Kinney

Hugo Villasenor

Roland Vajs

Rachel Lee

Analyn Cruz

Erich Martin Hicks

Eddie Grisco

Scott Everett White

Susan LaPrelle

Craig Kyllonen

Barbara Abelar

Stuart Racey

Lorraine Martin

Darrell Davis

Chris Carnel

Luciano Vignola

Zak Kristofek

Laura Evans

Goar Galstyan

Heather I. Denton

Dave Halls

Jeff Heck

Charles Nohai

Martha G. Sanchez

Natalie Thimm

Jeff Powers

Vi David Han

Dilip Isaac

Paulina Bryant

Pat Almquist

Nick Medrud

Alicia Pharris

Ari Rothschild

Pierce Varous

Rebecca Scott

Graham Ohmer

Matt Boyd

Kacper Skowron

Thaddeus Hall

Steve Goldenberg

Nick Stanton

Tony Jou

Lisa Marie Evans II

Allison Choi Braun

Daniel M. Donato

Trason Fernandes

Michael Halper

Joel Marich

Skott Khuu

Steve Costanza

Jodi Byrne

Daniel Hahn

Paige Winburne

John Jurko II

Thaddeus Hallinan

Megan McCarthy

Flora Ronzone

Chris Kenny

Arnie Rabano

Alison Kellerman

Luigi Cortez

Victoria Chenoweth

Matthew Haasch

John Van Valkenburgh

Phillip Matarrese

Johnny Kubelka

Wendy Sill

Ric Schnupp

Jay Peck

Dan Pochtrager

It's sure to be a bone of contention...

Written and directed by S. Craig Zahler, Bone Tomahawk stars Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins and Lili Simmons. Music is by Zahler and Jeff Herriott and cinematography by Benji Bakshi.

Ah, yes, the horror western hybrid, a most difficult thing to get right at the best of times, even harder to entice newcomers to the sub-genre splice if they don't particularly like horror or westerns! This is a tough sell, a pic of startling originality, but of homage worthiness as well, that it kind of feels like a film made for a secret society of film fans. A society perhaps like the Troglodyte tribe who dominate the horror aspect of this particular tale.

Plot is set in the wild west, where after a set of circumstances leads to the kidnapping of three people from the local jail - by members of the Troglodyte tribe, four men set off on a rescue mission...

How splendid to find a narrative that isn't afraid to nod towards one of the most revered westerns of all time, yet be its own entity at the same time. Bone Tomahawk will polarise opinions, no question about it, the whole middle section involves a travelogue pumped by characterisations and a need to set the stage for what will occur in the final third. However, to even think that the four horsemen of the apocalypse bulk of this movie is mere slow time cinema is unfair, for dark comedy is at work - a racist horse? Surely not?. 

So the screenplay not only sparkles with wit, but it also pulses with drama, drama that comes from human stubbornness. Be it men who know that no matter what will happen, they will maybe die in honour due to mistakes or mismanagement, or just a matter of redemption, this mission on the surface seems pure folly, but in reality there is more at work here. And thus comes the horror, characters have been well formed, we know them and are interested in what will happen to them. Like or dislike is irrelevant, we bloody know them, so as the film hits its raging "B" movie straps, shouting at the screen or wincing in harmony becomes a requisite. As is squirming...

Intricately paced, beautifully photographed and splendidly performed by a top cast who aren't interested in top billing or walk of fame recognition, Bone Tomahawk is a grade "A" culter. Zahler could be someone to keep an eye on. 9/10

Reno

> Meet the most savage people of the American native.

This was one of the three western films I've watched back to back recently. The other two were 'The Salvation' and 'The Homesman'. They all were totally different from each other and I enjoyed them a lot. I did not know what this title means, but I learnt it before going for it which means some kind of axe used by the American Indians. So I have waited for that moment to know why the film's called that and then, omg, I was very shocked, totally uncomfortable to watch that part. I felt like it was a western version of 'The Hills Have Eyes'.

This was a road movie. A group of peoples' journey to rescue those who were abducted by some mountain tribes. The rescue was the third act and the rest of the film was about how they make into that remote place. Obviously a slow pace, makes you sit whatever position you want, but after the 90 minutes you will be more focused than before as the narration gets tense. The best part of the film in any western the audience were looking for finally arrives. It was a simple, but very strong and disturbing.

The cast was the plus point, everyone did their part best. Even the music and the locations were very nice and appropriate. One of the rare western films I've seen, with a mix of horror-terror. This is the cheapest film and shot within a month of time, but a fine production and completely unexpected film. Possible for a sequel, but I think that's not a good idea unless it retains the same crew. If you're okay with a slow narration, then you will enjoy it. Compared to the opening, when it ends, you will feel satisfied. It is not a greatest western of all time, but still worth a watch.

7/10

_**Slow-burn Indie Western with a quality cast builds to a potent climax**_

In the 1890s, four men in the Southwest -- a sheriff (Kurt Russell), his aged deputy (Richard Jenkins), a gunslinger (Matthew Fox) and a wounded cowboy foreman (Patrick Wilson) -- set out to bring back captives kidnapped by a mysterious nameless tribe that lives several days ride away. Lili Simmons plays the cattleman’s wife while David Arquette plays a trashy outlaw. Sid Haig has a small role in the opening.

“Bone Tomahawk” (2015) has a surprisingly good cast for an Indie Western that only cost $1.8 million and shot in 21 days. It was the first film written/directed by S. Craig Zahler and reveals a master filmmaker in that he was able to make a quality movie on such a low-budget. The film has the confidence to take its time with interesting characters and entertaining mundane dialogues, which is reminiscent of Tarantino. There are flashes of violence, but this is a slow-burn Western that builds to a rewarding climax.

It’s a unique Western that meshes the Tarantino-style with realistically mundane Westerns like “The Homesman” (2014) and horrific gritty Indies like “Cry Blood, Apache” (1970). It’s superior to the latter two, especially “Cry Blood,” but it’s not quite in the ballpark of Tarantino due to lack of funds. Yet it ain’t far off either. 

The movie runs 2 hours, 12 minutes, and was shot at Paramount Ranch, Agoura, California.

GRADE: B+/A-

Fugly.  

There were so many things to dislike, hate, and/or projectile-vomit from this ghastly horror that I am a little embarrassed about how I couldn't wait to grab some alone time to watch Bone Tomahawk.  This is a gorge-suppressingly awful movie that is too long, more tedious than suspenseful, and features a man getting scalped, strangled, and split in two, crotch to chops.  I thought the water buffalo in Apocalypse Now had it easier.

The movie vaguely reminded me of John McTiernan's The Thirteenth Warrior (with a dash of Quest for Fire).  In TTW, an Arab diplomat hooks a ride with Beowulf and his posse.  The blood flows like spaghetti sauce as the "Geats" fight it out with a tribe of spider-worshipping Neandernasties. 
 
Here, a mini-posse of 1890s Southwesterners go on a rescue mission into desert badlands held by a pack of "Trogladytes."  Where McTiernan drives the narrative at a bone-crushing pace, Bone Tomahawk crushes bones, slices scalps and genetalia, and makes the characters almost impossible to like.  Kurt Russell, a man who has a voice as gritty as his stare is cold, is so restrained that the fire he brought to Tombstone is almost snuffed out.  

I suspect the movie tried to present the good guys as flawed and believable, but we get tired of endless trudging through the outback of the Southwest while the characters use arcane language.

As I'm writing this, I'm slowly changing my mind about the blandness of the characters.  Maybe they are, in their own way, working-class anti-heroes, but I just wanted a bit more savagery on the part of the "good guys."

I'm going to hit "submit" now and hope my wife has not prepared spaghetti for dinner.

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Evan Jonigkeit

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