Bone Tomahawk – Review

Bone Tomahawk is a mix of genres that absolutely works. It is an excellent western, while it is also a fantastic and effective horror movie. Don’t let its western guise fool you, this has one of the most horrific scenes ever put on film towards the end of the movie, which will always, always be hard to watch, so take that as a viewer warning. I don’t put that in often, so it is serious.

Putting that scene aside, this western posse flick has a fantastic cast who crush their roles, bringing out the best and worst of their characters. It is a haunting tale of the old west and the dangers that come with the outskirts of society.

After some strange inciting events, a town posse is formed to attempt the rescue of their doctor who has gone missing. The local Sheriff Hunt (Russell), his elderly deputy Chicory (Jenkins) and two local townsmen Brooder (Fox) and the doctor’s husband Arthur (Wilson) ride deep into the countryside, looking for signs of their kidnapped healer/spouse.

This movie pits the dirty grime of frontier life against a dark and violent force, with deadly results. If you can handle some fairly graphic violence (or at least turn away for a bit), this is a top-notch western with some dark thrills.

It is expertly shot with gorgeous cinematography at odds with its violent content. It is often also philosophical and introspective with its script, bringing out some of the best elements of a good western. If you can handle the blood, take the trip to the wild west for quite an adventure.