If you like your Westerns with a bit of humor, solid dialogue, and a gruesome spin then Bone Tomahawk is definitely for you!
This movie really flew under the radar for most people, which is a shame.
A few people are abducted from a small town by a clan of cave dwelling cannibals and four men head off into the wilderness to track and rescue the townsfolk. Imagine The 13th Warrior set in the late 1800s. The film absolutely nailed the Western aesthetic, and anybody who gets giddy at the sound of jingling spurs and cocking lever actions will get a kick. For those folks, there is plenty of eye candy!
The sets, costumes, and locations are all gorgeous. You get a real sense of the wild and desolate frontier, the vast emptiness of the landscape devoid of settlements and people. Kurt Russel and Patrick Wilson deliver fine performances, creating likeable characters and well timed banter and natural conversation. The dialogue is well written for the most part, the only complaints being a few exposition lines that seem a bit out of place. The story is not overly complex but is interesting nonetheless. There are a few forced plot devices but the films other merits make it easy to overlook. The other gem in this work is the practical effects used in the gory scenes. There is one in particular that will make even the most ardent squirm! It was refreshing to see a bit of realistic injuries to the main characters. Too often we see lead roles survive impossible falls, collisions, gunshots, blunt force trauma, and walk away unharmed with barely a bruise. The realism makes the lead characters feel real and vulnerable, which adds nicely to the thrill!
Overall, a pretty good movie and a killer Western atmosphere.
3 pickles out of 4
– Jacob B. Li
@overthebrinkgames
If you like Patrick Wilson, check out Stretch (2014).
For more Kurt Russel, check out The Art of the Steal (2013), and definitely Death Proof (2007).
If you like modern westerns, check out Slow West (2015), The Salvation (2014), True Grit (2010).
