Rastro de Maldade

Purvis (David Arquette) and Buddy (Sid Haig) are bandits killing and robbing in the old west. They stumble upon a native site and Buddy is killed by a warrior. Purvis escapes to the town of Bright Hope. Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell) confronts and wounds him. The town is attacked in the dead of night and people go missing. The locals suspect a clan of cannibalistic native cave-dwellers. Hunt leads John Brooder (Matthew Fox), hobbled Arthur O'Dwyer (Patrick Wilson) looking for his taken wife Samantha (Lili Simmons), and deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins) as a posse of four.

The start is a very intriguing horror western. Then it turns into a slower paced affair. The intensity is lowered but it maintains the interest. The characters are good played by compelling actors. There are some brutal violence although sometimes the camera cuts before the coup de gras. With some of the crazy violence, it's weird that the film does the old fashion look-away. The last act is unforgettable.

I watched this film very tired the other night and found myself sitting up alert immediately !

Pleasantly surprised I found it an entertaining macabre mystery thriller horror with outstanding performances by a quality ensemble of veteran actors working with good dialogue from a competent script.

Normally expect relative unknowns to do this type of film and end up with a B-Movie type of re-working of 'Hills with Eyes', but instead of the atomic bomb test in-bread cannibalistic mutants we are dealing with North American cannibalistic Indian savage troglodytes,

That somehow have avoided being massacred by the U.S Union Calvary Army and take revenge on some trespassers on their Indian burial ground and follow one back to a small town, end up killing and kidnapping some locals including a young woman whose husband, town sheriff, deputy and local gun slinger go in hot pursuit.

There is some elements from Ravenous 2001, Japanese horror film 'The Audition' with hints of blinding and limb amputations. A quality low budget movie with top notch acting from a first time director who wrote the script.

An impressive directorial debut from writer S. Craig Zahler, who also wrote this gruesome, filthy western of how wild the west can really get. More so impressive that the whole film was shot in just 21 days.

An outlaw drifter wanders into the town of Bright Hope unknowingly leading a tribe of savage, inbred, natives better known as Troglodytes which translates as Cave-dweller." During the night, these horrific abominations murder and kidnap some of the town folk, one being the wife of a crippled rancher, who then embarks on a rescue mission with the town sheriff, his old and incapable deputy and an over confident gunslinger.

Kurt Russell heads up the rescue posse as Sheriff Hunt, slipping comfortably into his western boots. Richard Jenkins plays his ageing deputy, Patrick Wilson the limping, desperate rancher and an impressive Matthew Fox who stole the screen, as the charismatic, narcissistic know-it- all who both annoying yet strangely likable, reminding me a little of Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday in Tombstone.

There's an air of mystery for the majority of the film, keeping the audience on tender hooks waiting to see what's in store for the rescue party. Are the kidnapped still alive? Dead? Or worse? While some elements are left to your imagination, you can only think of the worse, but what isn't, is nothing short of disturbing.

The gory violence is shocking to watch, even just hearing the graphic noises is enough. The sound is gruesome, bloody and unsettling. The climatic end was actually painful to watch, scarring the memory making me shudder just at the thought of it. The lack of a score only intensifies the haunting atmosphere.

Something has to be said for the special effects, make-up and the sound engineering that were all completely on point. I've never seen a more gory western, even more so than The Hateful Eight. The makeup and effects throughout are amazing but they really go beyond during the epic climax.

There's been a few disturbing films this year, visually, Neon Demon and imagination wise, Nocturnal Animals springing to mind but this one really made me wrench covering my mouth with both hands. It's like those good horrors you're too scared to watch but find yourself mesmerised to the screen regardless. This is certainly not one for the weak stomached. Kudos to director Zahler for created a stunning western with a difference, becoming borderline horror.

Running Time: 7 The Cast: 9 Performance: 8 Direction: 8 Story: 9 Script: 7 Creativity: 9 Soundtrack: 9 Job Description: 10 The Extra Bonus Points: 10 for the sound and graphic quality.

86% 9/10

I expected some sort of comedy-horror/western hybrid, but what I mostly got was a serious western with noticeable horror touches thrown in (until its third act, where the horror becomes even more prominent). I was surprised at how seriously the film took itself, which I now think is a strength. It could have been so easy to just make it yet another goofy horror/comedy, but what we got instead is a very restrained, very well-made, sort of classic adventure story. The directing is on point and there's a great control over the tone of the film. The decision to have so much of the film silent and without any noticeable score was a great decision. The cast is aces and the three real supporting players (Fox, Russell, Jenkins) all get their time to shine without anything being forced.

In 2015 where we are used to seeing none stop CGI, thin plot, endless action trash...here we have the opposite, a real movie gem. It's a classically crafted western that ended up as a brutal cannibal masterpiece.

At first it does make the audience feel that theirs not much happening compared to general modern cinema but what we do have is quality acting, cinematography and script building up to the shocking and unpredictable end

I can't recommend this enough, unlike most films of today it's not made for profit it's made for quality film making, something which I fear today is few and far between

Go watch it