ItвЂ™s just a little unfortunate that the conversations donвЂ™t scratch that little bit deeper in order to pull out the inherent themes of the film that are not explored as richly as they probably should have been. He is the one who provides most of the talking and has the funniest lines, and Jenkins imbues him with an enormous amount of pathos and helps make the dialogue scenes as enjoyable as they are. But the real star of the film is Richard Jenkins as the batty old former Civil War medic Chicory. Matthew Fox is almost unrecognisable as the dandy gunslinger Brooder, whose dark and violent past he is trying to reconcile with himself. Patrick Wilson is fine as the pious cowboy, determined to find his wife no matter what the cost.

Kurt Russell is his usual stoic, take charge self, bringing gravitas to every scene. What makes these conversations and character moments sing though are the performances. A lot of screen time is given to these conversations, which are entertaining and do allow for back story, but in the grand scheme of things, feel a little aimless. But because the dialogue is so sharp and witty it is easy to overlook that not a lot is actually being said. The dialogue is superbly well written, with Zahler expertly handling that 19 th century frontier patois and draws a lot of humour from it. There are minor episodes that occur while out on the trail that keeps the action ticking along, but for the most part Zahler is happy to sit with the characters around the campfire and listen to them talk. After a cold open that establishes the mystery and threat, ZahlerвЂ™s script dials back on the throttle and takes its time establishing the four main characters and then follows them every step of the way as they journey out into the wilderness. What is most surprising about Bone Tomahawk is how it is much more of a Western than a horror film. Consisting of SamanthaвЂ™s husband Arthur (Patrick Wilson), Deputy Sheriff Chicory (Richard Jenkins) and local gunslinger John Brooder (Matthew Fox), the posse realise they are most likely headed toward certain death as they quickly learn the kidnappers are from a tribe of troglodytes, cave-dwelling evolutionary mutants that are the stuff of nightmares.

When more mysterious figures raid the town at night and kidnap Purvis and local nurse Samantha OвЂ™Dwyer (Lili Simmons), Sheriff Hunt has no choice but to gather a search party to go find her. Unfortunately, while still entertaining and engaging, the film canвЂ™t quite dig deep enough for the entire enterprise to feel more than the sum of its parts.ДЄfter his partner is attacked by a mysterious figure while encroaching on sacred ground, wandering criminal Purvis (David Arquette) arrives in the town of Bright Hope, much to the chagrin of local town sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell). By getting to know the protagonists for two thirds of the film their battle at the end should make their lives feel more imperilled, or perhaps the journey would allow enough time to properly explore the themes of encroaching civilisation that are clearly present in the screenplay. It is only in the final act where things get really weird, but there seems to be a disconnection between the two different aspects of the film. Craig Zahler seems more interested in spending time with his four main protagonists as they travel across country, letting their different personalities and world views, and the harshness of the terrain, challenge them on their journey. The film indeed has horror elements but novelist turned screenwriter/director S. To describe Bone Tomahawk as a вЂњhorror-WesternвЂќ is good shorthand, but could be a little misleading.

Bone tomahawk