Rent Bone Tomahawk on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: S. Craig Zahler
Directed by: S. Craig Zahler
Starring: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons, David Arquette
Rated: -- [R]
Watch the trailer
Plot
In the Old West, a small-town sheriff and his rag-tag posse set out to rescue several townspeople from a brutal cave-dwelling, cannibalistic Indian tribe.
Verdict
This starts out as a western with a posse saddling up to save people, but it ends up turning into a horror movie. They're told the men they're tracking are savage, and as the movie progresses you wonder what they'll face. Getting to the location is difficult enough. While we get to know the guys in the group, it doesn't prepare you for their foes. This tribe is brutal and the movie doesn't shy away from showing you the violence first hand. It's so effective at creating a scary western. It's a genre I didn't know I lacked, and this does it so well.
Watch It.
Review
Set during the wild west, a couple of thieves wander astray leading to one getting killed. The other wanders into the town of Bright Hope. Sheriff Hunt (Kurt Russell) quickly takes an interest in this skittish newcomer. That ends with the thief locked in the jail, though injured.
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| Kurt Russell plays Sheriff Hunt |
Whoever killed the thief intends to finish the job, sneaking into town and abducting the thief, the doctor Samantha (Lili Simmons) tending to his wounds, and the deputy watching them. Sheriff Hurt establishes a posse with Samantha's previously injured husband Arthur (Patrick Wilson), arrogant sharp shooter Brooder (Matthew Fox), and chatty Deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins).
The group is told that while a tribe abducted Samantha, this isn't one with a name. They're cave dwellers, savage, and cannibals. If the posse tries to find them, they'll surely end up dead. That's no deterrent. Arthur will stop at nothing to save his wife, Hunt can't let him go alone, and Brooder's confidence won't allow him to skip out on the adventure.
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| Richard Jenkins, Kurt Russell, Matthew Fox play Chicory, Hunt, Brooder |
It's not an easy trek. Brooder is quick to shoot first and ask questions later. He kills a man, claiming it was a scout though he doesn't have proof. While Hunt is upset, Brooder is later proven correct to the detriment of their journey. They're left without horses. They're too far to go back, and they still must rescue Samantha. Arthur's injured leg presents a serious problem. To account for his slow pace, the rest of the group agrees to leave markers and Arthur will sleep less. He still falls behind.
The journey to the caves is difficult enough, but what awaits them? We have yet to see this tribe. I assumed they would surveil the area and locate their foes. Instead they're attacked immediately. The encounter with this tribe, and these guys are more creatures, is a genre shift. It's this turn that makes the movie, making the encounter in the caves all the more intense on comparison. This is a new movie and this tribe is brutal beyond belief. There are losses on both sides and Hunt ends up imprisoned where the tribe rips a prisoner literally in half as Hunt can only watch. Hunt tries a few tricks to even the odds, and he's severely punished.
The conclusion is bleak and violent. While there are survivors, questions remain. The last act is such a shock, and it's also what sets this apart. In what other western do the protagonists face off against cannibals? This would have been an adequate western, but it becomes a terrifying and memorable horror movie.
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