Movies
[Review] ‘Bone Tomahawk’ Isn’t Your Daddy’s Western
From up-and-coming writer/director S. Craig Mahler comes Bone Tomahawk, a surprisingly effective entry in the world of western filmmaking that approaches the genre from a much more brutal, bloodier perspective. In other words, this isn’t your daddy’s western.
In this beautiful plight into dangerous territory, a group of men are clearly not prepared for what they are about to encounter. The trouble they are about to walk into will swallow them whole, and yet, despite knowing in the back of their minds that going up against such ruthless, ferocious people who have a much better grasp of the land will inevitably backfire, in true heroic fashion, they must push forward anyway. These men are hardened by their rugged conditions, and therefore must adhere to the definition of manhood that has been constructed by their rough society. That’s why when a straggler is kidnapped from the local jail by inbred, cave-dwelling, cannibalistic Indians, along with two of their regular townspeople, Sheriff Franklin Hunt, Arthur O’Dywer, Chicory, and John Brooder make it their mission to set out upon a long and dangerous journey to retrieve them.
Not since the days of Tombstone, more than twenty years ago, have audiences seen Kurt Russell up on top of a horse, and it’s a very welcome return to form. Despite his few appearances in depictions of the Old West, it feels like Russell was born for westerns, as he delivers his lines with an air of calm authority and sly wit, casually but firmly declaring himself in the most powerful man in this room and any other. He’s in charge, and anyone else who tries to take that title from him is only kidding themselves, as Russell points out when a gentle flick of his wrist that shoots a quick blow of his pistol and subtly renders Purvis (David Arquette) immovable but alive when he tries to skip out on his crimes.
Russell musters the jaded strength and the quiet bravery that wrangles the rest of the gang along and keeps them in line, a standout trait that seems to illustrate the actions of cast itself, along with the characters they personify. Without him, this would still be an impressive, well-acted film, but with Russell in charge, it’s a modern day masterpiece of a genre that seemed all but lost in today’s film world.
All around, the cast is terrific, and everyone seems well equipped to handle their assignments. David Arquette in particular finally seems like he’s landed a role that actually sits extremely well with him, and the only real grievance of the film is that his character Purvis doesn’t stick around longer to let Arquette show what he can really do.
Deliberately slow-paced and at times almost stubbornly slow moving, Bone Tomahawk might feel like a bit much at times, but if anything, the drawn out nature of these mens’ pilgrimage to the cave only helps demonstrate the agonizing frustration that often came with the pace of the time period, especially when one was injured, or desperately trying to retrieve someone they lost.
The shockingly violent, extremely graphic barbarity may not be for everyone, but if you can stomach it, it makes for a very satisfying ending, despite the sadness that comes with knowing that all of these characters can’t possibly make it back home alive. Whether the viewers deem it too gory to be grouped in with the rest of the traditional entries, or accept it as a new angle on a subject that seemed all but worn out, all fans of the genre can agree on one thing: the fact that it’s just nice to see a resurgence of westerns in this day and age.
With films coming out like Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, Daniel Barber’s The Keeping Room, and Ti West’s In a Valley of Violence, it’s become clear that movie goers aren’t done with westerns just yet, and even if the newest additions don’t quite resemble the ones from the past, it’s exciting to see newer filmmakers pull from the classics they love, while adding in new techniques and styles to make the genre refreshing all over again.
Judging from the unprecedented box office success of Kane Parsons’ Backrooms adaptation, you’ve likely already seen the liminal horror hit that managed to make audiences afraid of empty hallways and bad wallpaper. And now that so many of us have already entered the yellow labyrinth (some of us more than once), the time has come to discuss the spoiler-filled details that make the movie so fascinating in the first place.
And if there’s one element here that makes the Backrooms movie stand out from any previous lore/mythology, it has to be the genius addition of the Still Life entities. Warped recreations of real people that somehow wandered into the Complex, these misremembered creatures are responsible for some of the most disturbing imagery of 2026 – as well as laugh-out-loud memes created by one of the film’s very own concept artists.
However, true to Parsons’ word that the movie would rely heavily on practical effects, each of these distorted monsters was brought to life by real actors under heavy layers of makeup and prosthetics (with the occasional splash of CGI enhancements). While Anora and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You actress Ivy Wolk wasn’t among these performers, despite what Letterboxd might have you believe, the creature cast did benefit from veteran players with plenty of genre experience.
For starters, Alien: Romulus alumni Robert Bobroczkyi (who previously brought that film’s horrific Offspring to life during its most memorable sequence) plays the flick’s main antagonist, the Still Life version of Captain Clark. And though there was some obvious CGI involved in making the character’s peg-leg and nightmarish face more believable, Bobroczkyi’s monstrous performance and his natural 7’7″ frame helped to make that final chase sequence a clear highlight among this year’s genre offerings.
The film’s Texas-Chain-Saw-inspired “dinner” scene also features a freaky collection of less-aggressive Still Life creatures in the form of the Bearded Man, the Red-Headed Woman and, strangest of them all, the cheekily named “Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life” (who earned this title among fans and crewmembers as a reference to his apparent affinity for lamps).
While this was the first major horror outing for both Patrick Baynham (The Bearded Man) and Dana Mahmood (Archibald), Rhiannon Roberts has worked as a stunt performer in everything from Yellowjackets to HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation – which is probably why The Red-Headed Woman is the most active out of Clark’s impromptu “family.” That being said, the Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life is my personal favorite of the bunch simply because his anachronistic outfit suggests that the Backrooms phenomenon might be a lot older than the Async Foundation. I also love how hard he tries to be helpful with that little light of his!
That might be it for the Still Life entities, but I think horror fans will also be pleased to hear that the film’s Found Footage prologue stars none other than Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City star Avan Jogia as Naren Warne – and American Mary herself Katharine Isabelle also shows up in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at Mary’s house party towards the middle of the story (though I have a feeling that she originally had a bigger part that was likely cut for time).
At the end of the day, Parsons’ Backrooms may have been an auteur-driven project motivated by the young director’s unique take on the classic creepypasta, but film has always been a collective artform, so it’s fun to see just how many talented performers it takes to bring this kind of supernatural nightmare to life in a way that connects with so many people.
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