Netflix Gets The Most Violent Western Ever That Goes Beyond R-Rated
These days, the Western genre rarely gets the love it deserves, despite being responsible for some of the best films ever committed to the big screen. horror Westerns are even more niche, with very few hitting the market in the last decade or so. Luckily, one of the all-time best Western horror films, 2015’s Bone Tomahawk, will be available to stream on Netflix starting on July 15.
Graphic Violence Beyond An R Rating
If you’ve never heard of Bone Tomahawk before, now is the perfect time to catch the epic thrill-ride, so long as you don’t have a weak stomach. Those familiar with the film know that the star-studded adventure has a reputation for being extremely violent, and shockingly gruesome. In fact, since Bone Tomahawk never got a full-scale theatrical release across the country, the film is unrated by the MPAA, which is likely for the best, as the graphic violence goes way beyond a standard R rating.
S. Craig Zahler’s Involvement
Bone Tomahawk is the directorial debut of novelist and screenwriter S. Craig Zahler. Since the release of the film, Zahler has gone on to helm such violent pictures as Brawl in Cell Block 99 and Dragged Across Concrete. Before successfully launching the production of Bone Tomahawk, Zahler had attempted to break into Hollywood with a number of scripts that were never optioned, and only managed to get this film off the ground after both Kurt Russell and Peter Sarsgaard caught wind of the script.
An Uncompromising Western
With those two big-name stars attached, Zahler was able to secure funding for his film, after refusing to compromise with studio heads on the subject of runtime and graphic violence. Russell and Sarsgaard star in Bone Tomahawk alongside a wide array of talented performers, including Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Fred Melamed, David Arquette, and others.
The film also features a performance from Zahn McClarnon, who faced-off against Patrick Wilson on the small screen as part of Fargo‘s second season, right around the same time that Bone Tomahawk premiered in theaters.
A Classic Rescue Plot
I really don’t want to get too deep into Bone Tomahawk‘s plot here, as the film is at its best when you have no idea what’s coming. Suffice it to say, the film’s narrative centers on a classic Western rescue mission after a local woman is kidnapped by a band of roving marauders, assumed by the public to be native Americans. As the woman’s injured husband and a gang of local law enforcement suit up to come to her rescue, they encounter a series of violent roadblocks that leave them shaken to their very core.
Kurt Russell At His Best
GFR SCORE
Bone Tomahawk offers one of Kurt Russell‘s greatest performances in his entire decades-long career, and currently touts a whopping 91 percent certified fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. If you’re interested in seeing just what all the fuss is about regarding this gritty movie, be sure to check out Bone Tomahawk when it hits Netflix on July 15. Just don’t pull up any clips ahead of time on YouTube, and definitely don’t invite a squeamish date to watch it with you.
