Day 19 - Bone Tomahawk - October Horror Movie Challenge

BONE TOMAHAWK (2015)

This is why frontier life is so difficult. Not because of the Indians or the elements but because of the idiots. 

Buddy and Purvis are out in the badlands killing and robbing. But after they see someone approaching they run away only to be stopped by ghostly cries all around them. Buddy is murdered, leaving Purvis to run for his life.

Back in town, Samantha and her husband Arthur are settling in for the night. Arthur has a broken leg and is moaning about it. At Sheriff Hunt's house his deputy, Chicory has arrived in a panic. He saw a stranger outside of town dumping something into a hole.

The two head to the local tavern to find Purvis out of his mind, Hunt shoots him in the leg and sends Nick to look after him in jail. Brooder goes and collects Samantha so she can fix up the wound, leaving Arthur in bed with his broken leg.

The next morning Sheriff Hunt is called out to a barn where a stable boy, Buford, has been murdered brutally and the horses have been stolen. He immediately runs to the jail only to find Samantha, Nick and Purvis missing. He also finds an Indian arrow in the wall. Hunt calls a meeting at the tavern and they discover that the arrow belongs to Troglodytes aka cave dwellers. They're warned not to venture near them or else they'll be murdered.

But Hunt gets together a rescue party made out of Chicory, Brooder, himself and Arthur and they set out into the dangerous badlands to rescue Samantha and Nick. But they are not prepared in the least for what's waiting for them out there.

Alright...so what did I love about this movie?

• This cast is mind blowing. The talent on screen is just shocking. Kurt Russell is subtle, quiet and striking. Lili Simmons is a power house. And shout out to that scene stealing performance by Sid Haig.
• I love how close everyone in this town is and so protective of each other.
• The cave dwellers are TERRIFYING!!!!!!!! And their ghostly scream brings chills when I think about it.
• The dialogue is rich and the story is thick with tension and fear.

What I didn't love?

• Ya'll the brutality of this movie TRAUMATIZED ME. The scalping scene and then right after the like...what do I even call that?...cutting that guy in half upside down. I was gagging.
• Literally my notes for the last 20 minutes of this movie are me screaming.
• When they cut open Hunt and shoved that scalding hot flask inside of him OMFG WHO THINKS OF THIS SHIT.
• Look....I'm sensitive when it comes to torture so these scenes really fucked with me. Not saying I didn't love it and it was totally appropriate for the film. And I knew going in that I wouldn't be thrilled with that part. But....just....wow. MUCH VIOLENCE.

Overall?

I have heard nothing but good things about this film since it was released and I've really been looking forward to it. It was amazing and I love a good frontier story. I could've watched this for hours. And I love that most of the movie is really just spent with four relentless men trekking through the wild, camping under the stars, and dealing with the tough questions life throws your way.

9/10

Stay spooky!