---
title: "Bone Tomahawk: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/bone-tomahawk/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/bone-tomahawk"
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 23
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Bone Tomahawk (2015): what the critics said

Critics' score 72 from 23 reviews: 20 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics welcome Bone Tomahawk as a patient, character-led western whose horror is made more disturbing by the time spent with its travelling companions. Praise centres on the ensemble, particularly Kurt Russell and Richard Jenkins, and on Zahler’s dry, eccentric dialogue. The favourable reviews find that the unhurried conversations build attachment and tension, while the shifts between humour and brutality largely hold together. Several also credit the direction with treating the characters seriously rather than merely preparing them for violence.

The spread is wide despite the strongly positive majority. Even sympathetic reviews question the pace and tonal control, while the graphic violence proves more divisive. The Times finds that brutality undoes the quality preceding it. Racial politics produce another disagreement: Little White Lies reads a critique of imperialist impulses, whereas Slant Magazine argues that the film evades the racism in its premise. These objections go beyond reservations about its leisurely storytelling.

## Financial Times — Nigel Andrews

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2016. 

The critic calls it an amazing film that strobes between light and dark, sublime and ridiculous. It is praised for its B-movie energy, character strokes, and absurdist-philosophical shift into a Beckett-like final act.

[Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/d4e576be-d63e-11e5-8887-98e7feb46f27)

## Empire — Kim Newman

Rating 4/5. 15 February 2016. 

The critic praises this gruesome Western-horror mash-up as a strong prairie stew blending The Searchers and Cannibal Ferox, with strong character work and witty dialogue among the posse members.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bone-tomahawk-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2015. 

A grim, witty horror-western with a humming genre intelligence, where Zahler balances shaggy droll talk and midnight-movie violence in a pokey character study. The cast sells the discursive indulgences and the director’s ear for period sensibilities is clinically effective.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-mn-bone-tomahawk-review-20151023-story.html)

## RogerEbert.com — Brian Tallerico

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2015. 

The film is a sturdy Western that shifts into horror, with strong performances and witty dialogue from a talented cast led by Kurt Russell. Zahler’s confident direction and script make the genre mash-up work despite some self-indulgent pacing and intense violence.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bone-tomahawk-2015)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2015. Festival review. 

The critic calls it a cult item par excellence that is disturbingly tense, hyper-violent and destined for an adoring fanboy following. The performances, especially Kurt Russell's grizzle and gravitas, are singled out as distinguishing the piece amid its low-budget ambition.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/bone-tomahawk-review/5095354.article)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2016. 

The critic sees cult potential in this well-made, macabre and violent western-horror debut. It is a pulpy, scary twist on The Searchers carried off with seriousness, highlighted by strong performances including Kurt Russell.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/feb/18/bone-tomahawk-review-kurt-russell-western-horror)

## Time Out — Tom Huddleston

Rating 4/5. 15 February 2016. 

The critic calls it a confident, terrifically enjoyable film that is superbly written, shot and performed, exposing the laziness of many mainstream movies. Praise is given for Zahler's handling of tonal shifts between comedy and genuine horror, though the finale lacks pace.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bone-tomahawk)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 October 2015. 

The review calls the film a tense, absorbing pursuit Western that turns into a gorefest while maintaining elegance and respect for its characters. It singles out the patient direction and unflinching eye on both character and violence as making it disturbing yet beautiful.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/10/bone-tomahawk-is-strange-and-unflinching.html)

## The New Yorker — Bruce Diones

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2015. 

A well-crafted, leisurely paced grisly drama that blends Western and horror, with excellent turns from Kurt Russell and his mismatched companions. Zahler’s relaxed camera work and dry humor breathe new life into Old West tropes before a grotesque finale.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/bone-tomahawk)

## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall

Rating 7.1/10. 

The critic describes it as a grim but gripping prairie tale and a breathtaking addition to the western genre. The quirky repartee among the four leads is highlighted as entertaining contrast to the bursts of brutality.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-7ja3fi/bone-tomahawk/)

## Sight and Sound — Anton Bitel

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 February 2016. 

The critic finds it a richly revisionist and ultra-violent weird western in which a sheriff and his ragtag posse encounter horror. The film is praised for its thematic exploration of the boundaries between civilisation and savagery, with strong performances and witty dialogue offsetting the brutality.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-bone-tomahawk)

## The AV Club — Katie Rife

Rating B-. 22 October 2015. 

The review finds the horror-Western hybrid strange and occasionally effective but hampered by slow pacing and flat cinematography. It singles out the cast's capable performances, especially Richard Jenkins, for bringing depth amid the eccentric choices.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/kurt-russell-and-cannibals-make-strange-bedfellows-in-b-1798185336)

## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2015. Festival review. 

The review praises the film's gravitas and strong cast led by Kurt Russell in a rescue-mission Western with horror overtones. It highlights the subtle score and design elements as contributing to a noble effort despite the gruesome elements.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/bone-tomahawk-fantastic-fest-review-828749/)

## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis

Rating Critic's Pick. 22 October 2015. 

A witty fusion of western, horror and comedy that prioritizes character over body count, with wonderfully weird dialogue and committed performances from Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson and others. The low-budget treat withholds its monsters until late and gallops to its own beat.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/movies/review-bone-tomahawk-is-western-horror-and-comedy.html)

## Total Film — Jamie Graham

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 2016. 

The critic highlights the film's off-kilter Western-comedy-horror blend, excellent cast, and strong dialogue that captures the Old West, noting it stumbles a bit in the splatter finale but remains engaging overall.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/movies-to-watch-19-february-2016/)

## Little White Lies — Craig Williams

Rating 3/3/3. 18 February 2016. 

The critic sees it as a precariously balanced, genre-literate oddity that places the West at the convergence of horror and western tropes. Zahler is commended for using the cannibal antagonist to critique imperialist impulses, though the leisurely pace may limit its appeal.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/bone-tomahawk)

## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 2015. 

The review criticizes the film for being skittish about its racism and self-conscious in handling its premise. It singles out the intense action scenes and veteran cast performances as providing superficial intensity despite the de-politicizing approach.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/bone-tomahawk/)

## The Times — Kevin Maher

Rating ★★☆☆☆. 19 February 2016. 

The critic views it as an exploitation western referencing classics like Rio Bravo and The Searchers, but finds the graphic final-act violence negates prior quality and class, making it entertainment only for a select few.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/bone-tomahawk-xdzkc8d63)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Rating A-. 20 October 2015. 

Zahler's debut blends western rhythms and horror with unhurried character-driven storytelling, authentic dialogue, and strong ensemble performances, especially from Jenkins, Fox, and Wilson. It delivers smart commentary on genre tropes and masculinity alongside assured splatter in the final act.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-hugely-enjoyable-horror-western-bone-tomahawk-starring-kurt-russell-patrick-wilson-richard-jenkins-more-20151020/)

## HeyUGuys — Daniel Goodwin

Rating 4/5. 12 October 2015. Festival review. 

The film is a sophisticated melding of western and horror genres with strong character work, sharp dialogue, and effective tension rather than gratuitous gore. It builds from a measured drama into a nerve-wracking finale that entertains while delivering visceral impact.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/bone-tomahawk-review/)

## The Skinny — Philip Concannon

Rating ★★★★. 12 February 2016. 

Praises the confident debut, rich dialogue and performances, but notes shaky tone towards climax and questions racial politics in the violence. It's a rare treat if you can stomach the gore.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/bone-tomahawk)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B. 23 October 2015. 

The film is a rich Western that uses its frontier setting to explore civilization versus barbarism, with strong low-key performances from the cast making the story feel grounded. The director focuses on character dynamics and the meaning of civilized society rather than sensationalizing the antagonists.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/bone-tomahawk-review/)

## Den of Geek — Don Kaye

Rating 4 out of 5. 26 October 2015. 

The critic praises the unique Western-horror hybrid, strong performances especially from Kurt Russell and Richard Jenkins, and character development, but notes it feels smaller than it could and the ending doesn't fully resonate. It's entertaining and suspenseful despite some flaws.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/bone-tomahawk-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/bone-tomahawk.md