Bone Tomahawk
Tags: violence, murder

Plot synopsis:
In the 1890s, two drifters, Purvis (David Arquette) and Buddy (Sid Haig), are making a living robbing and killing travelers. Spooked by the sound of approaching horses, they hide in the hills and encounter a Native American burial site. Buddy is killed by an arrow, and Purvis escapes.
Eleven days later, Purvis arrives in the small town of Bright Hope and buries his stolen belongings. Chicory (Richard Jenkins), the town's backup deputy, spots him and reports to Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell). At the town's saloon, Hunt confronts Purvis. When asked his name, Purvis hesitates before giving the name "Buddy" in an attempt to hide his identity. Sheriff Hunt shoots Purvis in the leg when he tries to escape. Hunt sends John Brooder (Matthew Fox), a local educated man and known womanizer who witnesses the shooting, to fetch the town's doctor. Meanwhile, foreman Arthur O'Dwyer (Patrick Wilson) rests at home with a broken leg. His wife Samantha (Lili Simmons), the doctor's assistant, tends to his wound. As the doctor is drunk, Brooder calls Samantha and escorts her to the jail to treat Purvis's wound. Leaving Samantha with Purvis and his deputy Nick, Hunt and the others return home. That night, at a stable house, a stable boy is murdered by unseen attackers.
The murder is reported to Hunt, who investigates the scene and finds the horses missing. The jail is empty and only an arrow is left behind. Hunt calls a local Native American man to examine the arrow, and informs Arthur of the news. At the saloon, the Native American man links the arrow to a troglodyte clan. He tells Hunt of the clan's dwelling place, "Valley of the Starving Men", and warns him that they are a group of cannibalistic savages. Certain that Samantha, Nick and Purvis had been captured by them, Hunt prepares to go after them with Arthur. Chicory and Brooder volunteer to accompany them.
Days into their ride, two strangers stumble across their camp. Fearing they are scouts for a raid, Brooder kills them and they set up a cold camp elsewhere to avoid being attacked. During the night, a group of raiders ambush them, injure Brooder's horse and steal the rest. Brooder, wounded by an attacker, regretfully puts down his horse. After a day of walking, a fight breaks out between Brooder and Arthur, exacerbating Arthur's broken leg. Chicory sets his leg and leaves him behind to recover, while he, Hunt, and Brooder move on.
At the valley, the three men are injured by a volley of arrows. After killing two attackers, Hunt and Chicory retreat, leaving Brooder, who is seriously injured and demands to be left behind. Brooder kills one attacker before being killed himself. The attackers capture Hunt and Chicory, and imprison them in their cave. The men find Samantha, and an injured Nick, imprisoned in a nearby cage. They witness Nick removed from his cell, stripped, brutally scalped, and bisected alive, then consumed. Samantha estimates the number of hostile cannibals to be around twelve (reduced to nine earlier by Hunt's posse).
Hunt realizes he has some opium tincture he confiscated from Arthur earlier to prevent him from overusing it. They lure several tribesmen to drink it, however only one drinks a fatal dose, and only one becomes unconscious. Meanwhile, Arthur wakes up, follows the men's trail and discovers the valley. He kills two tribesmen and notices an object embedded in their windpipes. After cutting one out, he realizes it is like a whistle. He blows on it, luring another tribesman close, then kills him.
In the cave, realizing two of their men were poisoned, the leader grows angry. He and another tribesman pull Hunt from his cell, cut open his abdomen and shove the hot opium flask into the wound. The leader then takes Hunt's rifle and shoots him in the arm and abdomen. Arthur arrives and kills one of the tribesmen, while Hunt kills the leader with one of the tribe's bone tomahawks. Arthur frees Samantha and Chicory, while a mortally wounded Hunt stays behind with his rifle. He prepares to kill the surviving cannibals when they return, to prevent them from terrorizing Bright Hope. As the three leave the cave, they see two pregnant females, who are blinded and have all their limbs amputated.
On their journey out, Arthur blows the tribesman's whistle, and with no response they continue to exit. At a distance from the cave, they hear three gunshots, implying that Sheriff Hunt had killed the remaining males of the tribe. Chicory acknowledges the gunshots with a half-hearted smile. Tired, hurt, and with few supplies, the three begin the journey towards home.

Review: This film is a rather special genre-mix of classic Western themes and gory, insane B-movie horror elements.
Films like the quite watchable The Burrowers (2008) and Dead Birds (2004) have mixed those ingredients before with some success, but while those two were undoubtedly B-movies, Bone Tomahawk never feels like your typical straight to VOD genre film.What really stands out right from the start is the writing: the precise dialog and never less than interesting characters are what really makes this film a winner in my book.
The premise might not be very original - it's Western to the bone (pun intended) and very much in the tradition of great classics like The Searchers - but despite its dark themes, there is so much understated humour in Bone Tomahawk that I felt at times reminded of some of the characters in Jim Jarmusch's films.
This is a film that is willing to spend a very considerable part of its running time just building atmosphere and exploring the different characters, and the action/horror moments are actually few and far between.
According to some recent interviews with the producers, the excellently written characters are also what drew A-list actors Kurt Russell and Patrick Wilson to the film, despite its micro-budget, and if Russell hadn't been so committed to playing the part of Sheriff Franklin Hunt, the film wouldn't have been made.In spite of its tiny budget, this is a quality film that really should have had a wide theatrical release; everything from the A-list cast to the excellent cinematography, sound and production design practically scream for the big screen.
But if you like old-school Westerns with great characters (played by great character actors), great atmosphere and deadpan humour, and you ALSO don't mind (very!) gory thrills, scares and some bloody shoot-outs along the way, I believe you will enjoy this film very much.
Craig Zahler and starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox and Richard Jenkins.The story follows four men, the town's sheriff (Russell), a cowboy (Wilson), the back-up deputy (Jenkins) and a gunslinger (Fox) who go on an expedition to retrieve a group of captives from some cannibalistic cave-dwellers.
Sometimes it feels a little too slow, but not enough so that it will ruin your enjoyment.Bone Tomahawk is a very good movie, with an interesting premise and a nice twist on the western genre.
It's a classically crafted western that ended up as a brutal cannibal masterpiece.At first it does make the audience feel that theirs not much happening compared to general modern cinema but what we do have is quality acting, cinematography and script building up to the shocking and unpredictable end I can't recommend this enough, unlike most films of today it's not made for profit it's made for quality film making, something which I fear today is few and far betweenGo watch it.
Yes, the movie could have been trimmed down by about 10-12 minutes, but it wasn't too slow that I lost interest (like many others I have read did).It is during this time where acting comes into play and, for the most part, it's all on point, especially Kurt Russell!
My Rating: 7.5/10 A rock-solid western in the beginning, Bone Tomahawk transforms midway to become one of the most gruesome horror movies this year.
The quartet includes The Sheriff of the town Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), an injured Cowboy Arthur O' Dwyer (Patrick Wilson) whose wife Samantha O' Dwyer (Lili Simmons) is one among the captives, an armed gentleman John Brooder (Matthew Fox) and the Backup Deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins).The casting is okay but not great.
Be it the dialogues, the situations, the acting or even the gut-wrenching violence and gore, Bone Tomahawk is realism to the bone.Recommended watch, if you can sit through a good old, slow paced, formal talked western in the former half and all the bloody gore in the later half, but ultimately the movie pays off..
I watched this film very tired the other night and found myself sitting up alert immediately !Pleasantly surprised I found it an entertaining macabre mystery thriller horror with outstanding performances by a quality ensemble of veteran actors working with good dialogue from a competent script.
Normally expect relative unknowns to do this type of film and end up with a B-Movie type of re-working of 'Hills with Eyes', but instead of the atomic bomb test in-bread cannibalistic mutants we are dealing with North American cannibalistic Indian savage troglodytes, That somehow have avoided being massacred by the U.S Union Calvary Army and take revenge on some trespassers on their Indian burial ground and follow one back to a small town, end up killing and kidnapping some locals including a young woman whose husband, town sheriff, deputy and local gun slinger go in hot pursuit.There is some elements from Ravenous 2001, Japanese horror film 'The Audition' with hints of blinding and limb amputations.
Bone Tomahawk may be classified as a "western gore-horror" - probably the first of its kind, although the superficial plot - four cowboys going on a quest against cannibal Native Americans - is entertaining and original enough, the film is much more than that.
Bone Tomahawk stars Kurt Russel, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins and Mathew Fox as 4 townsfolk during the Wild West on a mission to save a group of captives from a violent Indian tribe.It's hard to say too much about the film, as I think it works best as a surprise.
"It's about 9:00 but it feels like next week" (dialog) This is a film that owes a debt to the 1956 classic The Searchers, a film as much about finding an abductee as it is about the people doing the search.The "horror" subtheme is merely a bonus, and a fun one at that.It is not merely an indie, but an "auteur" indie -- that's the classification your reviewer is giving to the large influx of films in the last 24 months where the writer and director are one and the same.In film history, auteurs by themselves are not a new concept; what IS new and interesting is that, as television in this decade is starting to leapfrog Hollywood in terms of quality and excellence, this new class of artist is taking up the slack by using the proved medium of film as a convenient mechanism to show their stuff and define their aspirations.Craig Zahler is defining his aspirations with Bone Tomahawk, and it is not a bad start.
Totally recommend this movie for graphic horror titles (not ghost and monsters stuff)lovers and thriller lovers with strong stomachs .This movie starts a bit slow and ends a bit slow but the middle part is so good it doesn't really matter.I cant help but notice that this movie looks a lot like "The hills have eyes" ,the tension is through all of the movie and the storyline leaves you with such a hopeless feeling towards the characters future , it kind of good.
Blending the ruggedness of westerns with unflinching brutality of horror, Bone Tomahawk is a dark, gritty & sturdy piece of work that's crafted with patience, discipline & determination, is narrated in a very controlled but effective manner, and benefits immensely from its strong cast to succeed as a distinguishing, refreshing & thrilling entry in the weary world of the Old Wild West.Set at the turn of the 20th century in a small town called Bright Hope, Bone Tomahawk follows four gunslingers who form an unlikely alliance to take a dangerous journey into the dark abyss of the Wild West in order to rescue some people who were abducted by a group of cannibalistic cave dwellers.
But the biggest contribution comes from its cast.Coming to the performances, Bone Tomahawk features an extremely devoted cast in Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox & Richard Jenkins.
However, what works best for the film is the interplay between these characters, which the four actors are able to pull off amazingly well.On an overall scale, Bone Tomahawk is an impressive slow-burning cinema that grabs the viewers' attention from its opening moments, packs in a rugged set of characters that are outstandingly portrayed by its highly committed cast, is absolutely remorseless with all its content, is never in a hurry to head towards its action-packed finale, is very accomplished in production value, and becomes all the more admirable when taken into account the fact that it's a debut effort for its writer-director.
A must for western & horror film fanatics, Bone Tomahawk is a raw, beautiful & barbaric example of genre filmmaking.
I prefer a horror/thriller film to have a solid story, time to form characters, and a nice build to the climax, but the pace of this movie is all wrong.
Craig Zahler, who's also behind the well-written screenplay, delivers true entertainment.It's a rare combination of good screen writing, witty dialogues, nice acting, fine direction, great use of Californian locations and a perfect blend of genres, being not only an atmospheric western and a thrilling horror, but also an exciting adventure with proper doses of drama..
(I stuck with it because I thought something must happen, that it couldn't possibly be so slow and so bad.)This must have been truly painful for Kurt Russell and the other recognized actors in it.The only movie I have ever given one star (it deserves a minus 120, for each of its 120 tortuous minutes of run time).
Or just go outside and watch the clouds pass by instead, because pretty much anything else you can think of is more fun!We start off with some scum bags killing people in their sleep, which is pretty nasty, and then the film drags on for around TWO HOURS in which nothing really happens, or is completely devoid of entertainment if it does, and then the film has a couple of incredibly sick moments that will make the average person look away from the screen in disgust, and it ends.Wow, what a colossal waste of time.I actually wanted to turn this mess off 26 minutes in, and seeing how the film lasts around 140, it was a real test of endurance not to, but I'd heard so many great things about it...
It is definitely worthy of fitting in to the horror genre, some of the deaths will haunt your nightmares, but there is undeniably good character arcs, an entertaining story and great acting performances amongst all the insanity, Bone Tomahawk is definitely worth a watch..
This is basically The Hills Have Eyes meeting a very boring western.The trailer had such promise and I'm a huge Kurt Russel fan, but what a drag.Aside from the opening scene and the last part of the movie, nothing happens.
But I have to say that the fine drawing of characters, a little bit a la "Unforgiven", in combination with the slow but atmospheric and realistic pace of the timing, plus the brutal and gory explosion of final violence and crude action, works absolutely superbly, better than I expected.
Russell was on-point, his expressions and reactions excellent as Sheriff Hunt, and his "back-up" deputy Chicory played by Richard Jenkins and he had personal dynamics that really made the film.Deaths were very, very graphic both visually and audibly in a stark brutally simplistic way.
The first half is a Western adventure story as the Sheriff, his over-the-hill Deputy (Richard Jenkins, Let Me In), the woman's injured husband (Patrick Wilson, Watchmen), and a bigoted retired soldier (Matthew Fox, Lost) track the Trogs across uncharted territory.In the second half, the s--t hits the fan and our heroes learn just how brutally violent this tribe really is.
It includes one sequence of murder that is as graphic and hard to watch as anything in any recent horror film I can think of.I'll also say that the effects are outstanding and the movie's production values, while small in scale, are generally impressive and way above what you would expect given the movie's well publicized micro-budget (1.8 million).
Its freakier beyond all h**l and will make you jump a few times.Bone Tomahawk isn't the greatest western ever made and isn't the greatest horror movie ever made, but it takes advantage of what it has and gives you a satisfying result..
Mentioning Tarantino's movie I came in to BONE TOMAHAWK, a film described as cross genre involving horror set against a Western background, I thought I might be watching a post modernist mess full of smart alec dialogue and nodding self referential winks to the camera.
The premise, of a small town posse that is forced to go out to rescue kidnapped friends and family from cave dwelling cannibals, makes the film as much a modern Gothic horror movie as it is a Western.
S. Craig Zahler's Bone Tomahawk is a generally obscure 2015 Western-Horror film.
He is joined in the rescue posse by his "back-up deputy" Chicory (Richard Jenkins), the abducted woman's injured husband Arthur (Patrick Wilson), and a nattily attired gunman (Matthew Fox).The opening sequence featuring outlaws Purvis (David Arquette) and Buddy (horror vet Sid Haig doing his best Slim Pickins imitation) sets the stage for the brutal violence to come in the third act, as well as the film's crackling dialogue that's clearly influenced by The Coen Brothers, Quentin Tarantino, and Elmore Leonard.
A simple plot, but not bad.The movie is mostly driven by conversations and it is a slow burn, because the main story doesn't even start until around a half an hour has passed, but still great dialogue keeps it interesting.I really don't feel that this is a horror movie like a lot of people say it is.
There's really no suspense or creepy atmosphere, there's barely any music at all actually, but horror fans might still enjoy this because of the gore and cool kills.As acting goes, it's good, I think all of the actors did a great job, especially Kurt Russell.
I don't know why, I think it may be something to do with the way it was filmed or the way some things looked, but you guys probably won't have this problem.Overall, if you like Kurt Russell, Westerns, awesome kills and a decent story, check out BONE TOMAHAWK..
One of the best things in it for me is how the movie ignored Chekhov's Gun and the Red Herrings and just did a believable, historically accurate and gritty story, and did it well.Glad to see Kurt Russel return to form, Richard Jenkins is brilliant as ever, almost didn't recognized him in the film, Matthew Fox proves again that he is a good actor - too bad Lost ended any significant career he might have had until now, I hope that changes soon and Patrick Wilson again does a good job.There is no real closure to the film.
Bone Tomahawk is a film that takes your expectations, stabs them in the face and hacks out its own uniquely paced narrative that ducks clichés, clings to authentic realism and knows how to both get you invested in character, and put your hairs on end when these people you've come to love get put through unimaginable horrors in the third act.
This year alone has seen Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's The Revenant tell a tale of America's rough fur-trapping forefathers, John Maclean spin a violent love story involving a cigar-chomping outlaw in Slow West, and Tarantino lock eight genre archetypes together in a room for The Hateful Eight.The most original, engaging and surely destined for cult success is Bone Tomahawk, a western told with a tip of the hat to the John Ford and Howard Hawks classics of the 1950's and 60's, yet with a heavy dose of horror inspired by the grimy inbred/cannibal films of the 70's brought to terrifying life by Tobe Hooper and Wes Craven.
Also, though its cult-movie desires often show, "Bone Tomahawk" is ultimately sold by its cast, who commit fully to Zahler's discursive indulgences.All in all, the movie is a strong directorial debut, and one of the year's most unique genre films - a neo-cannibalistic-western-horror with deliberately paced old-school cowboy elements paying homage to auteurs from John Ford to Howard Hawks..
Some of it was really, really hard to watch(which is so cool!)A lot of the movie is very slow, but luckily, Russell accompanied with Patrick Wilson and Matthew Fox played characters that were really fun and interesting on the screen.Fun being a key word, as the film goes from gritty to grim to humorous, and it blends so well.Plus the gun play is really good, done to show effectiveness versus dramatics.This was truly a great western, worth becoming a classic in the genre..
When Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), vengeful gunslinger John Brooder (Matthew Fox) and back-up deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins) are surprised by the savages, Arthur, who has been lagging behind, must face the enemy alone.John Ford's The Searchers is given a cannibalistic twist in this unusual fusion of horror and western from writer and first-time director S.
Bone Tomahawk is an excellent,thrilling and intense Western-Horror film that combines wonderful direction,a terrific cast,a great script and a fine score.
All of those elements make Bone Tomahawk a solid movie that is genre film making at it's best.Set in the 1800s,Bone Tomahawk tells the story of four men,Sheriff Franklin Hunt(Kurt Russell),Arthur O'Dwyer(Patrick Wilson),John Brooder(Matthew Fox)and Chicory(Richard Jenkins)who are trying to tracking down people who were kidnapped and held captive by a group of Cannibal cave dwellers.
Now,the four men are on a quest to get the kidnapped persons back at all costs on a journey none of them will forget.Bone Tomahawk is a terrific and memorable film that combines two genres that I love in the Western and Horror genres giving us the best of both worlds in a creative way that is fresh and thrilling.
Craig Zahler has done in his directorial debut is taking the genres the Western and Horror film and given Bone Tomahawk a novel approach that is very interesting,different and will keep audiences glued to the screen.