Disney Plus has evolved into a rather interesting streaming platform since its early beginnings. While it once only hosted a majority of Disney content, it’s since expanded to include content from Hulu as well as Disney’s vast libraries including the 20th Century Fox catalogue as well as the occasional licensed title. This has led to some rather surprising movies and shows being offered on the streaming service, and now one such controversial R-rated horror movie is climbing the Disney Plus charts as a result.
This small-budget movie was produced for a small sum of $1.8 million. However, it quickly made an impact with word-of-mouth and positive reviews, leading to a successful limited theatrical release earning $480,000 and an additional home media distribution strategy that earned an additional $4.32 million. Now, just about a decade later, it is continuing to do numbers on digital streaming platforms including the aforementioned Disney Plus.
What’s also interesting, and perhaps was a useful element in its word-of-mouth campaign, is that this horror movie contains an incredibly controversial moment. Though it’s since been outperformed by other horror movies – it’s a scene that feels almost too jarring compared to the tone of the rest of the movie. For this reason, however, it’s become a memorable throwback to the exploitation and grindhouse movies that inspired it.
For those interested, the controversial R-rated horror movie on Disney Plus is none other than Bone Tomahawk, the directorial debut of S. Craig Zahler who also wrote the screenplay for the movie. With an interesting blend of both the western and horror genres, Zahler taps into a style of story that appeals to multiple kinds of audiences, though the controversial scene might be off-putting to most of them.
The core story of Bone Tomahawk is that a small-town sheriff must lead a posse against a clan of cannibalistic Native Americans that are dubbed “Troglodytes” for the absolutely brutal way they live. They’re inbred, animalistic, and completely cruel to the outside world. This leads us to the controversial scene in which these Troglodytes show no mercy for a truly innocent character.
One can imagine how brutal the moment can be, especially considering the cannibalistic tendencies that the tribe possesses, but even that can’t prepare most viewers for the brutality that follows. Again, while the likes of Terrifier have replicated similar moments of horror and violence, it’s the unexpectedness and realism behind the moment in Bone Tomahawk that makes it much more impactful.
For those who’ve seen the movie, they already know what scene is being referred to, and those who are interested in seeing it will know the moment exactly when it happens. Without spoilers, it’s definitely worth a watch, and if you’ve already seen it – maybe now is the perfect time to revisit Bone Tomahawk via Disney Plus.