Many westerns play up the majestic nature of the cowboys and lawmen that attempted to tame the wild country and the outlaws that roamed it, but not Bone Tomahawk. The 2015 Kurt Russell movie that is gory and ruthless is a recent addition to Netflix's streaming library in the US (as of Monday, July 15), giving more people the chance to solidify the movie's status as a cult favorite.
Written and directed by S. Craig Zahler, Bone Tomahawk takes place in the dying days of the old west, where a sheriff and a group of men set out to rescue captured town residents from a dangerous cave-dwelling group. In addition to Russell as Sheriff Hunt, the movie stars Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, Lili Simmons, Evan Jonigkeit, David Arquette, Kathryn Morris, Sid Haig, Geno Segers, Sean Young and Fred Melamed.
Critics have long touted Bone Tomahawk as an exciting recent example of the western genre. The movie is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive score of 91% from critics. The movie also earned some citations when it came out, being nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Richard Jenkins) at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, among other nominations and awards.
The general audience reaction is a bit more mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score is a bit lower than the critics', 74% positive. That is likely because one of the movie's calling cards is its violence and gore, which is why it is seen as a cult classic, as it may not be for everyone.
The violence is something that Zahler has been known for in his movies. Bone Tomahawk was his first feature film, but he followed it up with Brawl in Cell Block 99 and Dragged Across Concrete, both of which also were "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes.
With Bone Tomahawk now on Netflix, you can continue the western kick that movies have been on this summer, following the release of Viggo Mortensen's The Dead Don't Hurt (landing on digital on-demand starting July 16) and Kevin Costner's Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 in movie theaters. If you were disappointed to hear that Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 is not getting its planned August release, perhaps watching Bone Tomahawk can scratch that itch for you.
If you are interested in watching Bone Tomahawk but don't have a Netflix subscription, there are other options. The movie is currently streaming on Hulu in the US, can be rented via digital on-demand or is on free streaming platforms Pluto TV and The Roku Channel. In the UK, Bone Tomahawk is streaming on Prime Video and Mubi, or can be rented via digital on-demand.
Watch the trailer for Bone Tomahawk right here:
