The Western genre has tended to follow a familiar formula over the years, so when films flip the script, they can often be memorable. Bone Tomahawk is one picture that stands out in both the horror and Western genres, as it is a brutally imaginative depiction of something that could have feasibly happened in the Wild West.
The film is infamous for its gore and the helplessness of the characters and truly succeeds in immersing viewers in the setting among the cannibals. There’s an argument that this could be the scariest Western ever made.
Flipping the Western Genre in a Brutal Fashion
The Western genre is familiar to many, as it’s been around for decades and has tropes that occur across the board. In film, viewers can usually expect to find gunslingers and outlaws, along with desolate plains and bustling Western towns. This is reflected in the countless Western games out there as well, from Red Dead Redemption 2 to Slingo games like Slingo Money Train.
Part of the slow-burning horror of Bone Tomahawk is that it starts out in this way as well. It has all the elements you’d associate with a traditional Western, but then has a sickening twist. A small-town sheriff, played by Kurt Russell, leads a rescue party to track down some settlers who have been abducted by a mysterious tribe. They then get captured by the sadistic cannibals and experience unspeakable torture and savagery.
The Horror of the Frontier
One of the reasons why Bone Tomahawk was so effective was because it was so plausible. There’s a chance that there were tribes like the one shown in the movie living in the lawless land of the American frontier. Viewers get immersed in the action, and are made to feel like the helpless characters trapped in cages having to watch the violent murders play out.
Bone Tomahawk is best known for its wishbone scene, in which one character is butchered in front of the others. The performances of the actors increase the scene’s impact, conveying palpable terror that makes everything seem so real. It’s often been cited as one of the most shocking moments in cinematic history, and cements Bone Tomahawk’s status as one of the scariest horror movies of all time.
What Other Horror Westerns Are There?
Bone Tomahawk was memorable for its originality, but it’s not the only horror western film out there. There have been a few less realistic offerings over the years, with From Dusk Till Dawn and Near Dark offering more supernatural elements.
There are a few other Western horror hybrids that are worth checking out. The Burrowers in 2008 captured the grit of the frontier but combined it with terrifying creatures. The Wind in 2018 focused on the psychological dread of the plains, while Ravenous in 1999 explored cannibalism through a satirical lens.
There have been plenty of memorable Western horror offerings over the years, but Bone Tomahawk stands out as the scariest of all time. The levels of immersion are high, and viewers are transported into a situation that seems plausible due to the lawlessness of the era.
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