"Bone Tomahawk" Review

Title: Bone Tomahawk

Directed by: S. Craig Zahler

Screenplay by: S. Craig Zahler

Year: 2015


Genre blends are a tricky thing to pull off well. It is a game of high risk, high reward, and Bone Tomahawk might be one of the most interesting mixtures: a western horror. This fascinates me and is a very original idea in this day and age, where most movies are either sequels, prequels, reboots, or based on some source material. Another risky thing going against this film is having a first time director behind it. This movie is taking a lot of chances, but do they pay off?

In the small town of Bright Hope, three people are kidnapped by a group of mysterious savages. Now, the sheriff, the back-up deputy, a gunslinger, and the crippled husband of one of the abductees set out to rescue them and bring them back home.

It is always nice to see Kurt Russell in a western. He fits the setting well and Bone Tomahawk is no exception. Here he plays the sheriff, and his portrayal is very subdued. Russell is strong in the role and brings a humanity to the character of Franklin Hunt. Rocking a moustache that will put any man to shame, he leaves a great impression. Richard Jenkins is the back-up deputy. Playing a very likable character, that of Chicory, he is frantic and does not always know when to stop talking, but he is loyal to Hunt and Jenkins adds a history to the character that is not even explored in the script, which is a nice touch.

Patrick Wilson is completely compelling as Arthur O'Dwyer, whose wife has been kidnapped. He is crippled throughout the entire movie and thus he had to sell the physicality of an injured man and Wilson does so effortlessly. The passion his character has for saving his wife is the source of emotion for the picture, and Wilson is more than up to the task. Rounding off the team is Mathew Fox as John Brooder, who is the closest thing we have to a classic cowboy in this movie. He is extremely handy with a gun, runs on his own moral code, and cracks a good joke every once in a while. Fox is a joy to watch and there is a sort of mystery behind the character that makes him incredibly interesting.

Bone Tomahawk works with a minimal cast, and the rest of actors do a fine job but if there was a weak link, it would be Lili Simmons as Samantha O'Dwyer. She is actually pretty good at the beginning of the film, but during the third act, she does not emote the fear that the character should be feeling. Her third act performance is rather one-note aside from a few moments, but besides that, this is a good cast.

The story is extremely simple. People are kidnapped, they need to be rescued. It is streamlined and clear, which makes it easy to jump into and follow. The story progresses at a very slow pace. I believe it takes over half an hour for our heroes to set out on their journey. This movie is a slow burn, and is effective in this regard for the most part. The picture has a runtime of 132 minutes and that is a bit too long. There is never a dull moment, but there are a few moments that, upon reflection, were not entirely necessary.

One aspect of this film that excels is the dialogue. The characters spew line after line of interesting dialogue that adds depth to them. This is how we learn everything about them. The things the characters say are always interesting. Chicory has a very nice speech about a flea circus and his beliefs on it and the scene is very touching. Brood has an answer for everything, but my favorite has to be when he's asked why he believes he is the most intelligent of the bunch. "Sheriff Hunt has a wife. So does Mr. O'Dwyer. And you're a widower...Smart men don't get married." Great dialogue like this fuels this film from start to finish and makes the slow pace enjoyable.

I have yet to even mention the genre melding features. A western horror seems like an odd choice, and could easily just be a period horror piece. We have gotten tons of those before. But Bone Tomahawk is a western through and through. There are a few horror elements thrown in during the first act, but it is not until the third act when the horror comes in full force. These savages, known as troglodytes, are built up well in an early expositional scene, and oh boy are they scary. Their appearance is simple, but still frightening and their actions are gruesomely terrifying. We do not get to see them until the final third, but these things are terrifying.

S. Craig Zahler is a man who understands horror. Bone Tomahawk is devoid of any jump scares or other cheap horror tricks. Everything scary that occurs on screen works because of how it is filmed and executed. The Indians, which are more like cavemen actually, are usually shot from low angles to make them appear more imposing. The lighting throughout the film is usually very dark or dimly lit, especially when indoors. This is done so effectively that some of the scenes in Bright Hope have an unsettling air about them, even though nothing bad happens. The camera is often shaky, but not to the point of no clarity. It is effective as the terrain is very uneven and thus the camera follows those movements. It is a neat trick that places the audience into the movie, as the invisible fifth member of the posse.

A lot of the horror also stems from a gore factor. This movie has quite a body count and plenty of scenes are hard to watch. The climax is filled with moments that make you want to look away, but nothing compares to that scene. If you have seen this movie, you know exactly what I am talking about. That scene is probably the hardest thing I have had to watch in a film. It is the most sickening and brutal sequence these eyes have seen, and the special effects really hit home.

There is a lack of music throughout the film that emphasizes the emptiness and vastness of the landscape. However, the minimal use of music also hurts other scenes that really could have benefitted by having a composition in the background. The sound design should be given more than just a pat on the back, as they fired on all cylinders. The sounds the savages make are chilling, gunshots sound smoky (I know, how is that possible?), and footsteps are given great attention to detail. Listen closely to the sound the savages make when they walk.

There is one moment in the plot that does irk me. Late in the film, O'Dwyer obtains an item after a very tense scene. However, given what just happened to him, it is not realistic for him to go get the item. It is difficult to explain this while tip-toeing around spoilers, but once you watch the film, you will know what I mean. He had other priorities and it was impossible to tell if it was safe for him to get it.

Bone Tomahawk is a wholly original film that blends two seemingly polar genres and makes it work. The cast is superb with one minor exception, the story is simple, and the atmosphere seeps off the screen. This picture is oozing with detail and ambience, which makes it a more impactful experience. That scene is so well done and hard to watch, and might be one of the best scenes of the year. It delivers as a western and as a horror film, with very few flaws. It tends to overstay its welcome and there are one or two niggles in the plot. But aside from that, there is little to complain about. The entire third act is filled with high tension and stupendous suspense. It is nice to see another good western following Slow West, which was also done by a first time director. And if Bone Tomahawk is any indication of Zahler's quality as a director, then he has a bright future ahead of him.

Grade: A-