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Bone Tomahawk

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Bone Tomahawk is a 2015 American horror Western film written and directed by S. Craig Zahler in his directorial debut, and starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons, Evan Jonigkeit, David Arquette, Zahn McClarnon and Sid Haig. It was produced by Jack Heller and Dallas Sonnier. The film is about a small-town sheriff who leads a posse into a desolate region to rescue three people who were abducted by a cannibalistic Native American clan.

Development of the film started when Zahler's friend and manager Sonnier recommended creating a film adaptation of Zahler's Western novel Wraiths of a Broken Land. Realizing that such a project could not be adapted on a low budget, Zahler opted to write a rescue Western instead. Casting began in October 2014, with Peter Sarsgaard, Timothy Olyphant, and Jennifer Carpenter signed on to play before being replaced by Wilson, Fox, and Simmons respectively due to scheduling conflicts. Principal photography took place in California over a course of 21 days in October 2014.

The premiere of Bone Tomahawk took place at Fantastic Fest on October 1, 2015. RLJ Entertainment gave the film a limited release on October 23, grossing over $480,000 in theater sales and $4.32 million in home media sales against a $1.8 million budget. The film received mainly positive reviews, with praise for Zahler's screenplay and direction and the performances of the ensemble cast, and has since accrued a cult following.

Plot[]

In the 1890s, brigands Purvis and Buddy encounter a Native American burial site. They are ambushed, and Buddy is killed while Purvis escapes. Purvis reaches a nearby town, Bright Hope, and buries his loot; seeing this, Deputy Chicory reports him to Sheriff Franklin Hunt, who interrogates then shoots Purvis (who claims his name is Buddy) in the leg when he attempts to escape.

Hunt sends the confident gunslinger John Brooder to fetch the town's doctor to tend to the leg wound. However he fetches Samantha O'Dwyer, the doctor's daughter and assistant, who is caring for her injured husband Arthur. Hunt leaves Samantha in the sheriff's office with his other deputy, Nick, to tend to Purvis' wounds.

That night, a nearby stable boy is killed. Hunt learns of the murder and goes to his office, finding it empty, with an arrow left behind. The Professor, an educated Native American, links the arrow to a tribe that he refers to as "Troglodytes" and locates the valley they inhabit on a map. He warns Hunt that they are a group of inbred cannibals, shunned and avoided by other native tribes. Certain that Samantha, Nick, and Purvis have been captured by them, Hunt forms a rescue party with Chicory and Brooder. Arthur insists on accompanying them to find his wife, despite his injury.

Days into their ride, two strangers stumble across the rescue party's camp. They are killed by Brooder, who fears they are scouts for a raid. The rescue party set up a new camp, but they are ambushed by raiders who injure Brooder's horse and steal the rest. The following day, a fight occurs between Brooder and Arthur, exacerbating Arthur's leg wound. Chicory leaves him to recover while he, Hunt, and Brooder continue on foot. Reaching the valley, the rescue party are ambushed by the Troglodytes. The rescuers kill three, but Brooder is injured, choosing to sacrifice himself, rather than live as 'a cripple'. Hunt and Chicory are captured.

Hunt and Chicory are imprisoned near Samantha and Nick. She explains the Troglodytes have already killed and eaten Purvis. The group witnesses Nick stripped, brutally scalped, bisected alive, and then consumed. Hunt tricks several Troglodytes into drinking liquor laced with opium tincture, with one dying while another becomes unconscious.

Arthur follows his rescue party's trail into the valley. He kills two Troglodytes and discovers they use an animal bone in their windpipes as a whistle. He blows on it, luring another Troglodyte, then kills him.

In the cave, the Troglodyte leader grows angry at the poisoning. The Troglodytes cut open Hunt's abdomen, shove the heated opium flask into the wound, and shoot him. Arthur arrives and aids Hunt in killing the leader. He frees Samantha and Chicory. A mortally wounded Hunt stays behind with a rifle, promising to kill any surviving Troglodytes when they return, to prevent them from terrorizing Bright Hope. As the three leave the cave, they see two pregnant Troglodyte women, who have had all their limbs amputated and stakes driven into their eyes to blind them. After the party is at a distance from the valley, Arthur blows on the Troglodyte whistle, with no response. Later, they hear three gunshots in the distance.

Cast[]

  • Kurt Russell as Sheriff Franklin Hunt[5]
  • Patrick Wilson as Arthur O'Dwyer[6]
  • Matthew Fox as John Brooder[6]
  • Richard Jenkins as Deputy Chicory[6]
  • Lili Simmons as Samantha O'Dwyer[7]
  • Evan Jonigkeit as Deputy Nick[7]
  • David Arquette as Purvis[7]
  • Kathryn Morris as Lorna Hunt[7]
  • Sid Haig as Buddy[7]
  • Sean Young as Mrs. Porter[7]
  • Fred Melamed as Clarence[7]
  • Maestro Harrell as Gizzard[8]
  • Jamison Newlander as The Mayor[8]
  • James Tolkan as Pianist[8]
  • Jeremy Tardy as Buford[8]
  • Michael Paré as Mr. Wallington[7]
  • Zahn McClarnon as The Professor[8]
  • Michael Emery as Redheaded Fellow[8]
  • Raw Leiba as Wolf Skull[8]
  • Geno Segers as Boar Tusks[8]
  • Eddie Spears as Serrated Tomahawk[8]
  • Alex Meraz as Eagle Skulls[8]
  • Jay Tavare as Sharp Teeth[8]

Release[]

In August 2015, RLJ Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film,[9][10] which had its world premiere at the Fantastic Fest on October 1, 2015.[11] It later screened at the Charlotte Film Festival on October 3, 2015[12] and later at the London Film Festival on October 10, 2015.[13] The first trailer of Bone Tomahawk was released on October 2, 2015.[14] On October 23, 2015, Bone Tomahawk was given a limited release in the United States,[5] and later was released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 29, 2015.[15] Bone Tomahawk was released in a few theaters in the United States, grossing $475,846, plus a total of $4.28 million in home media sales.[4]

The Blu-ray disc includes behind-the-scenes production footage, theatrical trailers, a collection of posters, a Q&A session with the director and cast and a deleted scene lasting for about two and a half minutes. The deleted scene is an extended version of the ending: Arthur, Chicory, and Samantha spend the night by a campfire, with Chicory naming Arthur as the new sheriff of Bright Hope before Arthur tries to read a "poem" to Samantha he wrote while he was working as a foreman.[16]

Reception[]

Critical response[]

Bone Tomahawk received positive responses from critics and at festivals for its acting (particularly for Kurt Russell, Richard Jenkins and Matthew Fox), grittiness, Zahler's direction, and dialogue, which is stated to be a combination of The Searchers and various cannibal films.[17][18][19] Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 91% of critics gave the film a positive review with an average score of 7.2/10, based on 93 reviews, with a consensus of: "Bone Tomahawk's peculiar genre blend won't be for everyone, but its gripping performances and a slow-burning story should satisfy those in search of something different."[20] Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 17 reviews from mainstream critics.[21]

Praise was given to the story and script, of which Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian enjoyed the mix of horror and Western genres, a sentiment that Kim Newman of Empire agrees to.[18][19] Other reviewers such as Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times and Tom Huddleston of Time Out London enjoyed the comedy that was intertwined within the horror and Western elements of the film.[22][23] Catsoulis stated that the "absymal racial politics" in the film is authentic to the time period.[22] Reviewers such as Jeremy Aspinall from Radio Times called Bone Tomahawk a refreshing entry to the Western genre.[24][25] Guy Lodge of Variety praised the film as "the wayward digressions of Zahler's script — navigated with palpable enjoyment by an expert, Kurt Russell-led ensemble — that are most treasurable in a film that commits wholeheartedly to its own curiosity value."[26] John DeFore from The Hollywood Reporter offered the film similar praise, commending the film's performances, production design, cinematography, score, and screenplay, with the sentiment shared by Huddleston, Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com, and Don Kaye of Den of Geek.[27][23][28][17]

Kaye directed criticism towards the film's runtime.[17] Oliver Lyttelton of IndieWire found Zahler's writing to be engaging and unhurried, and the length to be not an issue.[29] Other criticisms included Kevin Maher of The Times believing that the violence in the film was a copycat of Quentin Tarantino's use of brutality in his films[30] while Piers Marchant of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette called the film racist, calling it "the equivalent of having as villains a sect of Orthodox Jews."[31]

Accolades[]

Awards and nominations
Association Date of ceremony Category Nominees Result References
Almería Western Film Festival October 9, 2016 Best Technical-Artistic Western Freddy Waff Won [32]
Austin Film Critics Association December 16, 2015 Best First Film Nominated [33]
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema April 23, 2016 Best Avant-Garde & Genre S. Craig Zahler Won [34]
Dublin Film Critics' Circle December 18, 2016 Best Screenplay S. Craig Zahler Draw [35]
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards March 13, 2016 Best Actor Kurt Russell Won [36][37]
Best Supporting Actor Richard Jenkins Nominated
Best Makeup/Creature FX Hugo Villasenor Nominated
Festival International du Film Fantastique de Gérardmer January 31, 2016 Jury Prize S. Craig Zahler Won [38]
Independent Spirit Awards February 27, 2016 Best Screenplay S. Craig Zahler Nominated [39]
Best Supporting Actor Richard Jenkins Nominated
Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards December 14, 2015 Best Supporting Actor Richard Jenkins Nominated [40]
Original Vision Award Nominated
Phoenix Critics Circle December 16, 2015 Best Horror Film Nominated [41]
Best Supporting Actor Richard Jenkins Nominated
Saturn Awards June 22, 2016 Best Independent Film Nominated [42]
Sitges Film Festival October 17, 2015 Best Direction Award S. Craig Zahler Won [43][44]
José Luis Guarner Prize Won

External links[]

References[]

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sneider
  2. ↑ Bone Tomahawk (18) (October 7, 2015).
  3. ↑ Godfrey, Alex (February 15, 2016). Best Western: Why Bone Tomahawk Became a Gunslinging Cult Hit.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bone Tomahawk (2015) – Financial Information.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Collis, Clark (2015-09-25). "'Bone Tomahawk' director explains how he got Kurt Russell back on a horse — exclusive poster". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Bone Tomahawk.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Bone Tomahawk Cast & Crew.
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 Bone Tomahawk - Full Cast & Crew.
  9. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (2015-08-04). Kurt Russell's 'Bone Tomahawk' Lands Deal Ahead Of Fantastic Fest Bow (in en-US).
  10. ↑ Gilman, Greg (2015-08-04). RLJ Entertainment Acquires Kurt Russell Western 'Bone Tomahawk'.
  11. ↑ Sharf, Zack (2015-10-02). Kurt Russell Is a Cannibal Western Hero in 'Bone Tomahawk' Trailer.
  12. ↑ Toppman, Lawrence. "Charlotte Film Festival roars back with surprises", The Charlotte Observer, September 25, 2015. 
  13. ↑ The 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express® announces full 2015 programme (2015-09-10).
  14. ↑ Collis, Clark (October 2, 2015). "'Bone Tomahawk' trailer: See why everyone is talking about the Kurt Russell cannibal Western". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  15. ↑ Truitt, Brian (December 24, 2015). Watch: Kurt Russell loves the Western genre of 'Bone Tomahawk' (in en-US).
  16. ↑ Salmons, Tim (2020-04-02). Bone Tomahawk (Blu-ray Review) (in en-gb).
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Kaye, Don (2015-10-26). Bone Tomahawk: Review (in en-US).
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Bradshaw, Peter (2016-02-18). Bone Tomahawk review – a Western horror destined for cult status.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Newman, Kim (2016-02-18). Bone Tomahawk Review.
  20. ↑ Bone Tomahawk.
  21. ↑ Bone Tomahawk.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Catsoulis, Jeannette. "Review: 'Bone Tomahawk' Is Western, Horror and Comedy", The New York Times, 2015-10-22. (in en-US) 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Huddleston, Tom (2016-02-15). Bone Tomahawk 2016, directed by S. Craig Zahler.
  24. ↑ Aspinall, Jeremy. Bone Tomahawk – review.
  25. ↑ Corrigan, Kalyn (2015-10-08). [Review 'Bone Tomahawk' Isn't Your Daddy's Western] (in en-US).
  26. ↑ Lodge, Guy (2015-10-01). 'Bone Tomahawk' Review: Kurt Russell Stars in S. Craig Zahler's Grisly Twist on the Western – Variety.
  27. ↑ DeFore, John (2015-10-01). 'Bone Tomahawk': Fantastic Fest Review.
  28. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (2015-10-23). Bone Tomahawk movie review & film summary (2015) | Roger Ebert (in en).
  29. ↑ Lyttelton, Oliver (2015-10-13). BFI London Film Fest Review: Horror-Western 'Bone Tomahawk' Starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson & Richard Jenkins (in en).
  30. ↑ Maher, Kevin. "Bone Tomahawk", The Times, 2016-02-19. (in en) 
  31. ↑ Marchant, Piers (2020-08-07). Blood, drugs, grief, mystery and murder (in en).
  32. ↑ Resumen 2016 (in es-ES).
  33. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (December 16, 2015). Austin Critics Announce Award Nominees (in en-US).
  34. ↑ Mango, Agustin (2016-04-23). 'The Long Night of Francisco Sanctis' Wins Top Prize at Buenos Aires Film Fest (in en).
  35. ↑ Anderson, Daniel (2016-12-19). Dublin Film Critics pick best films of 2016 (in en).
  36. ↑ White, Scott Everett (January 14, 2016). "Kurt Russell receives Fangoria awards nomination for Bone Tomahawk". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  37. ↑ The 2016 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Winners and Full Results! (January 14, 2016).
  38. ↑ 2016 – Archives Festival de Gérardmer (in fr-FR).
  39. ↑ McNary, Dave (November 24, 2015). 'Carol,' 'Spotlight,' 'Beasts of No Nation' Lead Spirit Awards Nominations.
  40. ↑ Indiana Film Journalists Association Announces 2015 Film Awards (December 14, 2015).
  41. ↑ Awards (in en-US).
  42. ↑ The 42nd Annual Saturn Awards nominations are announced for 2016! (February 24, 2016).
  43. ↑ Mayorga, Emilio (October 17, 2015). 'Invitation' Tops Sitges.
  44. ↑ 'The Invitation' is proclaimed winner of Sitges 2015 (October 17, 2015).
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