Beyond Bone Tomahawk: On the Borders and the Brutality of the Western

By Rich Johnson

Bone Tomahawk, released in 2015 as the directorial debut of S. Craig Zahler, quickly attained cult status. Its deceptively simple plot, in which a band of men sets out to rescue three abducted people, masks a primal terror and a complex set of themes. Revered as much as it is reviled for its gruesome and unflinching imagery, the film's savage eye is elevated by its sincere approach to character and its presentation of the frontier as a physical ordeal. In its blending of Western and Horror genres, the film pushes the boundaries of genre convention to deliver something truly unique.
Informed by extensive interviews with cast and crew, Beyond Bone Tomahawk sets out on its own journey to the frontier, exploring Zahler's hybrid approach to filmmaking that balances arthouse with exploitation. Along the way, author Rich Johnson situates the film within broader histories of violence and expansionism (onscreen and off), interrogating myth and reality to consider what Bone Tomahawk can tell us about humanity in 21st century-America.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1915316626
• ISBN13: 9781915316622
• Release Date: May 2027
• Publisher: Headpress
• Length: 270 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.3"