searching the depths of Amazon for "Bone Tomahawk"
- livia treviño
- Sep 8, 2017
- 2 min read
If a movie's good, it sticks with you. "Bone Tomahawk" doesn't just stick with you, it burns into your brain. When people warn me about watching a movie, all it does is make me more curious. I also think people tend to over-dramatize everything, so when "Bone Tomahawk" was described as 'brutal' and 'hard to watch', I took it with a grain of salt.
After watching, I can honestly say that 'brutal' and 'hard to watch' may be understatements. So, if that doesn't scare you away, here's why you should watch "Bone Tomahawk":
an underdog story
I love reading about how a movie was made and this story didn't disappoint. Director S. Craig Zahler has written over 40 screenplays for films that were either never made or got really close and fell apart at the seams. After many failures, Zahler was able to get a producer, Dallas Sonnier, to fight for his film (and eventually fund half of it). They both set to make this movie with the stipulation that there be no changes to the screenplay whatsoever, which is not something big studios like to hear. They finally made the movie with a $1.8 million budget and a 21 day shoot. To give you a bit of perspective on how crazy this is to accomplish: The Revenant (another western released the same year) had an estimated budget of $135 million and was shot in 9 months.
living in the danger zone
"Bone Tomahawk" isn't careful with it's characters. Zahler made it a point to immediately let you know how unsafe their world is from the very beginning and that feeling never lets up. He's a writer that takes risks and doesn't give a shit if you're not ready for it. It's refreshing to watch a movie that doesn't pander.
a western for the ages
I'm not a big fan of westerns. I hated The Hateful Eight, so seeing Kurt Russell at the helm of yet another western wasn't very appealing to me. Oh, was I wrong.
as always, the acting
This ensemble was an unlikely dream team. I wasn't too crazy about seeing the dad from "step Brothers" and that white guy from "Lost" sharing the screen with Kurt Russell, but it completely worked. They all pulled their weight and then some.
warning: not for the faint of heart
I wasn't kidding when I said this movie is rough. It is extremely graphic, so maybe don't watch the final act if you're squeamish or with children around. But honestly, it was completely worth it.
I know that I sound like the dramatic person I described at the beginning, but as long as you're prepared, it honestly isn't that bad. "Bone Tomahawk" is criminally underrated and should be talked about more. Just don't say that I didn't warn you.
"Bone Tomahawk" is available to stream on Amazon Prime
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