S. Craig Zahler directs Kurt Russell, Matthew Fox and Richard Jenkins in this faithful western following a rescue party heading into the wilds.

135 minutes fly by in no time, in this impeccably judged Western. The language, look and tone are spot on even when it lurches in the finale into some of the most shocking body horror I have ever seen in a film, mainstream or independent. The villainous lost tribe of cannibals when revealed are not just brutal in their attacks but scuttle quickly at you and have a distinctly creative look that is part Preadator, part ash covered 9/11 survivors. They are the stuff of your new nightmares. And the White Hats who have to face off against them are a beautifully drawn bunch with Russell, Fox, Patrick Wilson, Lili Simmons and particularly Jenkins getting many affecting moments of light and dark to make you truly care for them. More faithful yet hardcore trips like this down the trail by Zahler would be quite the tonic for the dusty but beloved genre.

8