Bone Tomahawk

"Death comes for all men."

2015 2h 13m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 2,659

DramaHorrorWestern

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During a shootout in a saloon, Sheriff Hunt injures a suspicious stranger. The doctor's assistant, wife of the local foreman, tends to him in prison. That night, the town is attacked and they both disappear—only the arrow of a cannibal tribe is found. Hunt and a few of his men go in search of the prisoner and the foreman's wife.

“Death comes for all men.”

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Cast

Kurt Russell
Sheriff Franklin Hunt
Patrick Wilson
Arthur O'Dwyer
Richard Jenkins
Chicory
Matthew Fox
John Brooder
Lili Simmons
Samantha O'Dwyer
David Arquette
Purvis
Fred Melamed
Clarence
Evan Jonigkeit
Nick

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: S. Craig Zahler
Writers: S. Craig Zahler
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 26% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 11 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by S. Craig Zahler, shot by Benji Bakshi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jeff Herriott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Greg D'Auria shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kurt Russell and Patrick Wilson and Richard Jenkins carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

S. Craig Zahler directs. Benji Bakshi behind the camera. Jeff Herriott scores. Greg D'Auria cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 26% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 11 years ago.
4International production across 2 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom.
5Directed by S. Craig Zahler, shot by Benji Bakshi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Jeff Herriott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Greg D'Auria shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Kurt Russell and Patrick Wilson and Richard Jenkins carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Death comes for all men.".
10IMDB entry: tt2494362 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 27 themes, including "rescue", "sheriff", "prisoner", "ambush".

The technical file

Cinematography: Benji Bakshi
Original score: Jeff Herriott
Editing: Greg D'Auria
Production design: Freddy Waff
Costume design: Chantal Filson
Makeup / hair: Brian Kinney
VFX supervisor: Pete Sussi
Sound: Roland Vajs
Stunt coordinator: Chris Carnel
Runtime: 133 min · 2h 13m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,800,000
Box office: $475,846
Return: 26% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Bone Tomahawk (2015)

Awards

Sitges Film Festival Best Director award

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

S. Craig Zahler

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2016-02-14
★ 9/10
It's sure to be a bone of contention... Written and directed by S. Craig Zahler, Bone Tomahawk stars Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins and Lili Simmons. Music is by Zahler and Jeff Herriott and cinematography by Benji Bakshi. Ah, yes, the horror western hybrid, a most difficult thing to get right at the best of times, even harder to entice newcomers to the sub-genre splice if they don't particularly like horror or westerns! This is a tough sell, a pic of startling originality, but of homage worthiness as well, that it kind of feels like a film made for a secret society of film fans. A society perhaps like the Troglodyte tribe who dominate the horror aspect of this particular tale. Plot is set in the wild west, where after a set of circumstances leads to the kidnapping of three people from the local jail - by members of the Troglodyte tribe, four men set off on a rescue mission... How splendid to find a narrative that isn't afraid to nod towards one of the most revered westerns of all time, yet be its own entity at the same time. Bone Tomahawk will polarise opinions, no question about it, the whole middle section involves a travelogue pumped by characterisations and a need to set the stage for what will occur in the final third. However, to even think that the four horsemen of the apocalypse bulk of this movie is mere slow time cinema is unfair, for dark comedy is at work - a racist horse? Surely not?. So the screenplay not only sparkles with wit, but it also pulses with drama, drama that comes from human stubbornness. Be it men who know that no matter what will happen, they will maybe die in honour due to mistakes or mismanagement, or just a matter of redemption, this mission on the surface seems pure folly, but in reality there is more at work here. And thus comes the horror, characters have been well formed, we know them and are interested in what will happen to them. Like or dislike is irrelevant, we bloody know them, so as the film hits its raging "B" movie straps, shouting at the screen or wincing in harmony becomes a requisite. As is squirming... Intricately paced, beautifully photographed and splendidly performed by a top cast who aren't interested in top billing or walk of fame recognition, Bone Tomahawk is a grade "A" culter. Zahler could be someone to keep an eye on. 9/10
Reno2016-07-14
★ 7/10
Meet the most savage people of the American native. This was one of the three western films I've watched back to back recently. The other two were 'The Salvation' and 'The Homesman'. They all were totally different from each other and I enjoyed them a lot. I did not know what this title means, but I learnt it before going for it which means some kind of axe used by the American Indians. So I have waited for that moment to know why the film's called that and then, omg, I was very shocked, totally uncomfortable to watch that part. I felt like it was a western version of 'The Hills Have Eyes'. This was a road movie. A group of peoples' journey to rescue those who were abducted by some mountain tribes. The rescue was the third act and the rest of the film was about how they make into that remote place. Obviously a slow pace, makes you sit whatever position you want, but after the 90 minutes you will be more focused than before as the narration gets tense. The best part of the film in any western the audience were looking for finally arrives. It was a simple, but very strong and disturbing. The cast was the plus point, everyone did their part best. Even the music and the locations were very nice and appropriate. One of the rare western films I've seen, with a mix of horror-terror. This is the cheapest film and shot within a month of time, but a fine production and completely unexpected film. Possible for a sequel, but I think that's not a good idea unless it retains the same crew. If you're okay with a slow narration, then you will enjoy it. Compared to the opening, when it ends, you will feel satisfied. It is not a greatest western of all time, but still worth a watch. 7/10
Wuchak2020-11-23
★ 7/10
Slow-burn Indie Western with a quality cast builds to a potent climax In the 1890s, four men in the Southwest -- a sheriff (Kurt Russell), his aged deputy (Richard Jenkins), a gunslinger (Matthew Fox) and a wounded cowboy foreman (Patrick Wilson) -- set out to bring back captives kidnapped by a mysterious nameless tribe that lives several days ride away. Lili Simmons plays the cattleman’s wife while David Arquette plays a trashy outlaw. Sid Haig has a small role in the opening. “Bone Tomahawk” (2015) has a surprisingly good cast for an Indie Western that only cost $1.8 million and shot in 21 days. It was the first film written/directed by S. Craig Zahler and reveals a master filmmaker in that he was able to make a quality movie on such a low-budget. The film has the confidence to take its time with interesting characters and entertaining mundane dialogues, which is reminiscent of Tarantino. There are flashes of violence, but this is a slow-burn Western that builds to a rewarding climax. It’s a unique Western that meshes the Tarantino-style with realistically mundane Westerns like “The Homesman” (2014) and horrific gritty Indies like “Cry Blood, Apache” (1970). It’s superior to the latter two, especially “Cry Blood,” but it’s not quite in the ballpark of Tarantino due to lack of funds. Yet it ain’t far off either. The movie runs 2 hours, 12 minutes, and was shot at Paramount Ranch, Agoura, California. GRADE: B+/A-