Director: S. Craig Zahler
Writer: S. Craig Zahler
Starring: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox
For some reason, it took me what felt like forever to get around to writing a review for this movie. Sometimes writing a review for a movie feels like a chore more than an opportunity.
That said, Bone Tomahawk is a very ominous movie; the tension builds whenever there's a monster on screen and the gore elements are effective. The dialogue and pacing are slow, but they're held up by the authentic acting and characterisation.
*Warning: Spoilers Ahead*
Cannibals known as Troglodytes kidnap a group of people from a local town out in the Wild West. Four men then set out on a rescue mission; Arthur O'Dwyer (Wilson), a foreman with a broken leg whose wife Samantha (Lili Simmons) is among the kidnapped; John Brooder (Fox), an educated man who feels responsible for Mrs O'Dwyer's kidnapping as he was the last person to see her; and Sherrif Hunt (Russell) and backup Deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins), the local law enforcement.
It's a simple premise that focuses primarily on its characters, which is where the film finds most of its strength. The principal cast all offer strong performances; Wilson is especially impressive as Arthur. His arc is built around the love he has for his wife and the regret for his negligent attitude that came out of feeling useless after breaking his leg. Arthur goes far beyond his limitations when he knows his wife needs him, and his sheer determination to make amends for his weakness is believable and develops across the entire film. It's impressive to witness fleshed out character progression in a horror movie.
The horror elements of the film are also effective. The film's cold open sets the savage tone of the film and showcases the slow build-up of tension in any scene involving the Troglodytes. The cannibals are horrifying to watch, as they mercilessly slaughter and dismember people, hunting and communicating using whistles embedded in their throats. Every time they appear the film changes from a slow, dialogue and character-driven western into a tense horror filled with gore. I won't spoil the most shocking scene, but there's plenty of knives in throats and spears through heads to go around.
The film has an unfortunate over-indulgence of its own dialogue; the topics aren't uninteresting or useless, but the presentation leaves something to be desired. Most dialogue-oriented scenes drag the film out because lines are often filled with unnecessary detail, and the pauses between lines hang noticeably in the air. It's like a Tarantino movie running at about half the speed. The slow dialogue isn't helped by the pacing; with so much focus on building genuinely interesting characters, many scenes are devoted literally to the characters alone, drawing the plot to a halt for some more dialogue. It's easy to feel a little bored by the combination of these two factors.
The Verdict: Bone Tomahawk is a well-made movie with excellent acting and well-rounded character arcs, but its pacing is slow and its dialogue digressive, which weighs the movie down over its two hour and twelve minute running time. I recommend it to people who enjoy the horror or western genres, and anyone curious about a competent combination of the two.
Rating: 7/10
Published August 1st, 2016
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