Film Review: Bone Tomahawk

When a doctor, a deputy and an inmate are abducted from an old west town, four men set out to save them. Unfortunately the four men believe they are up against an average Native American tribe only to find out that they have to face a near mythical tribe of cannibalistic cave dwellers that even the other tribes fear. As the men get closer to the tribe’s land the tension and violence escalates to a graphically action-packed climax.

Bone Tomahawk is a great western with a touch of thriller and horror given the group’s adversaries and some of the graphic situations they find themselves in. First time feature director S. Craig Zahler wrote a gripping story and directed this film with a confident flair. The acting in many cases is down right wonderful and the cast is strong as can be, Kurt Russell and Patrick Wilson are fantastic, but at times Richard Jenkins and Mathew Fox steal the show.

The production of Bone Tomahawk is also a feat to be reckoned with as they managed to pull off a beautifully shot, decently paced period thriller, packed with special effects for under two million dollars. This frankly puts many a major studio film to shame when an independent film can come along and prove that with a solid story and well-planned production, a fantastic movie can be made for a fraction of what the studios are spending. And the kicker is that you cannot see Bone Tomahawk in theaters because it didn’t get a good distribution deal so it was practically straight to VOD.

If you love a good western, thriller or “men on a mission” film, then you should do yourself a favor and see Bone Tomahawk immediately.

Bone Tomahawk (2015); Director: S. Craig Zahler; Starring: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Lili Simmons