In this episode of The Deadlights Podcast, we saddle up and head into the brutal frontier with “Bone Tomahawk” (2015) — a film that quietly reinvented the western by injecting it with relentless horror.
We break down how S. Craig Zahler fought to get the movie made, explore the film’s extremely tight shooting schedule, and discuss how its stripped-down production helped amplify the tension. From Zahler’s uncompromising vision to the film’s shocking introduction of the troglodytes, we examine why “Bone Tomahawk” remains one of the most unsettling genre hybrids of the last decade.
Chapters:
00:00 Teaser
00:47 Welcome to the Deadlights
01:36 Logline + General Thoughts
05:13 THE CAN
19:42 “It’s Showtime!”
22:43 THE MEAT
37:43 THE COOK
43:40 THE THRILL
52:54 THE RIDE
55:07 Smashed Pumpkin Ratings + Creepiest Kitty Award
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Is it a western first? A horror movie in disguise? Or something far more disturbing?
Let us know what you think of Bones Tomahawk in the comments — and where it ranks among your favorite modern horror films.
Credits:
Shot at Playground Social Studios (https://www.playgroundsocial.com/)
Technical Director: Rudy Schieder (@rudyschieder)
TV Wall Installation: Mike Sinas (@mike.tv)
Director of Photography: Andrew Degner (@gnomeresearch)
#BoneTomahawk #HorrorWestern #SCraigZahler #ModernHorror #IndieHorror #WesternHorror #Troglodytes #HorrorPodcast #TheDeadlightsPodcast #HorrorMovies
