Two movie genres that always receive my love are horror films and westerns. Yet, for some reason, it’s a rare occasion to find successful movies that combine both categories. When I find one that blends both sensibilities well, I tend to shout it from the rooftops. That’s what I’m about to do.
A decade ago, one of the best horror westerns I’ve ever seen made its debut. Ten years later, it’s still up there on my list of favorite movies — not just because it’s unsettling and gory, but because of its strong script and epic cast.
The movie I am talking about is a smart, slow-burning cowboy drama that’s propelled by its talented cast and a shocking third act. I’m talking about Bone Tomahawk. And good news, it’s available to stream free on Tubi right now.
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Bone Tomahawk follows four men as they venture into the desert to rescue some townspeople who were kidnapped after a surprise attack. This is no ordinary rescue mission, though. It’s revealed early on in the film that a group of savage, cave-dwelling (and potentially supernatural) cannibals is the guilty party. Defeating them will be no easy feat.
To that point, the eventual confrontation between the men and these attackers is one of the most grizzly, violent displays I’ve ever seen in a western.
Read more: Tubi Reminds Us That You Need a Body Bag to Do Horror the Right Way
Kurt Russell plays Sheriff Hunt alongside Richard Jenkins, who plays Deputy Chicory, in the horror-western movie, Bone Tomahawk.
The first and probably biggest draw here is the movie’s stellar cast. Kurt Russell leads the charge as Sheriff Franklin Hunt, alongside Patrick Wilson as Arthur O’Dwyer, Richard Jenkins (the Oscar-nominated actor for The Shape of Water) as Deputy Chicory and Lost alum Matthew Fox as John Brooder. Supporting players include Lili Simmons, Zahn McLarnon, David Arquette, horror icon Sid Haig, Fred Malamed, Michael Paré and Sean Young.
Tombstone is hands down one of my favorite westerns, and seeing Russell get back on the horse, so to speak, to lead another western (The Hateful Eight, which he also stars in, hit theaters the same year) is reason in and of itself to watch this movie. As wonderful as he is in the role of Sheriff Hunt, the movie gives enough scenery to chew for Wilson, Jenkins, and Fox — each actor delivers nuanced performances that keep things grounded, even as the stakes are steadily raised.
An extra tip of the hat should be given to Fox, the enigmatic standout. Brooder is not a likable character, yet his ego doesn’t define who this man is either. His drive to hunt down these attackers stems from a deeply personal trauma that earns him equal parts disdain from the audience and empathy. Without him, the crew probably wouldn’t have made it as far as they did.
Matthew Fox plays the armed gentleman John Brooder in the horror-western Bone Tomahawk.
This is S. Craig Zahler’s directorial debut. He is the filmmaker behind the brutal festival darlings Dragged Across Concrete and Brawl in Cell Block 99, so if you’re at all familiar with those movies, you’d be unsurprised by the final act’s blood-spilling. Zahler also wrote the movie, which is worth noting, considering how sharp the dialogue is. This is probably the key detail that brought this epic cast to the project.
Hunt and his men spend most of the movie searching, which is not dissimilar to how John Wayne and his Texas Rangers were in John Ford’s cinematic classic, The Searchers. That western is most assuredly beloved by dads nationwide; Ford’s work has inspired filmmakers from Spielberg to Scorsese and Kurosawa.
A skull is an ominous warning to trespassers in the horror-western Bone Tomahawk.
Ford’s movies had a specific pacing that has all but disappeared from modern entertainment. His movies took their time, following characters through a slow-burning hero’s journey. This allowed the story world to sit in silence, allowing the viewer to take in the dusty horizon as if it were a photograph or painting come to life.
Like Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man, which tapped into a similar narrative sensibility, Zahler gives ample room for the story, characters and surrounding world to breathe, which draws the viewer in further. There’s no musical score here, and the cinematography is seamless and straightforward. Instead of populating the movie with distracting camera maneuvers, Zahler’s debut acts almost like a stage play, which gives the whole thing a matter-of-fact, rudimentary vibe.
On the surface, Bone Tomahawk is a revenge story. Yet, underneath, it explores humanity at a crossroads, following civilized men as they grapple with the untamed, feral elements on the other side of the desert.
Once the men meet the villains, referred to earlier in the movie as Troglodytes, the movie transitions from an Old West homage to horror territory. The practical effects in the movie’s third act bring about a series of hard-to-watch acts of violence on par with Eli Roth’s cannibal opus, The Green Inferno. I wouldn’t call this torture porn. As visceral, gory and in-your-face as things get, it’s all still germane to the story being told.
I’ve read the criticism online about Bone Tomahawk’s depiction of Native Americans, specifically in reference to the Troglodytes. I’m not here to contest that notion. However, it’s worth noting that the movie takes place during an era where prejudice toward anyone who wasn’t white or male was indeed the norm. It could also be argued that this tribe of powerful cannibals isn’t really Native American at all. That’s the sentiment spoken as a warning by Zahn McClarnon’s professor to Hunt and crew.
Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins and Kurt Russell as Arthur O’Dwyer, Deputy Chicory and Sheriff Hunt in the horror-western Bone Tomahawk.
If I had a gripe with the movie, it would be the abruptness of its ending. The emotional stakes do pay off, and much blood is spilled. However, I have to wonder if there was ever a plan to make a sequel, as the story closes in an open-ended way. A number of characters’ storylines ended as they walked off into the sunset, and I, for one, would love to see this story continue in some fashion.
Bone Tomahawk is not for everyone. That said, if you’re a dad like me who yearns for some quiet time away from the family to relish in some gruesome goodies, may I suggest delving into this ultraviolet western-horror opus? Movies like these don’t come around very often. You won’t be disappointed.
