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. It doesn't sound like a harmonious mix, but it certainly is (as long as you have the stomach for it). Opening with a particularly gruesome throat-slicing, author and first-time director S. Craig Zahler makes his love for the grotesque clear from the outset, but then settles down to set in motion a classical men-on-a-mission yarn, only with the knowledge that cave-dwelling monstrosities are the destination.After butchering and robbing a group of travellers, low-lives Buddy (Sig Haig) and Purvis (David Arquette) stumble upon some kind of sacred burial ground. The tribe responsible make their displeasure at the thieves' arrival immediately known, and only Purvis escapes with his life. Arriving in the town of Bright Hope, Purvis is quickly rumbled as a thief and shot in the leg by sheriff Hunt (Kurt Russell) who, assisted by his back-up deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins) and the town doctor Samantha (Lili Simmons), imprison him for the night. However, the next morning Purvis, Samantha and Deputy Nick (Evan Jonigkeit) have vanished, with a local stable boy disembowelled and some horses stolen.
In The Seachers (1956) fashion, Hunt and Chicory set out to confront the cave-dwellers (dubbed 'troglodytes') along with Samantha's cowboy husband Arthur (Patrick Wilson), heavily injured with a broken leg, and the bigoted yet brutally efficient gunslinger Brooder (Matthew Fox). At 132 minutes, Bone Tomahawk is mainly about the journey which will take days even if things go to plan, never mind the threat of bandits and whatever the creatures are awaiting them. Zahler's witty script and some great casting choices ensure that their odyssey is never slow. Russell is Russell but he is still great, while Wilson has by now perfected wounded masculinity. However, it's Jenkins and Fox who stand out. Jenkins is a great actor so it is to be expected, but Seth Rogen's sly dig at Fox in Knocked Up (2007) always rang true with me. Here, he carefully treads the line between despicable and cool, making us hate him yet still root for him. Despite being the most disposable of the leads, he is the most interesting character of the group.
After much character-building and obstacles to overcome, the film doesn't hold back when we finally arrive at the end. Without venturing into torture-porn territory, Zahler delivers a series of brutal scenes and delights in exploring new ways to make you wince in horror. At one point, I feared that one male character was about to be raped, but then something even worse and unexpected happens, which is made all the more effective by the absence of CGI. It's enough to delight fans of both genres, and the blend of old-fashioned derring-do and no-nonsense horror makes for the kind of experience genre fans long for. While it may be slightly self-indulgent given the heavy running time, this is only slight criticism of a film that feels like it ends at just the right moment. Injecting new life into both genres, it will be interesting to see where Zahler goes from here.
Directed by: S. Craig Zahler
Staring: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins, Matthew Fox, Lili Simmons, David Arquette
Country: USA/UK
Rating: ****
Tom Gillespie
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