Matthew Fox Says ‘Bone Tomahawk’ Was the Moment He Decided to Step Away From Acting [Exclusive]

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In 2015, the western genre was experiencing a slight decline, but the film Bone Tomahawk offered a fresh take by blending frontier life with horror. While westerns were finding some success in independent films and on TV shows like FX’s Justified, Bone Tomahawk, starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, and Richard Jenkins, didn’t perform well in theaters despite positive reviews. However, it has since become a beloved cult classic. Interestingly, the film also marked the last on-screen appearance of actor Matthew Fox, as he retired from acting after its release.

Westerns are a surprisingly flexible genre, able to explore almost any story using the vastness of the landscape. Bone Tomahawk brilliantly demonstrates this, blending western tropes with unexpected elements. Inspired by classics like John Ford’s The Searchers and the horror-western Ravenous, the film follows a group of frontiersmen on a rescue mission after people are kidnapped by cannibalistic cave dwellers. What starts as a typical western gradually shifts into an action-packed adventure, then a brutal survival story, ultimately becoming a truly horrifying experience – culminating in one of the most shocking and gruesome scenes ever filmed in the genre. Be warned: it involves a terrifying and graphic depiction of dismemberment.


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While the intense violence in the film was definitely noticeable – and a valid reason to need a break, according to viewers – Matthew Fox stepped away from acting for different reasons. In an interview with MovieWeb, he explained his passion for Westerns and shared how Bone Tomahawk was a significant project in his career.

That project was fantastic. The movie was wild and I really enjoyed it – I always envisioned it as a classic Western, even though it gets pretty chaotic towards the end. Making a Western was actually a long-held goal of mine, something I really wanted to achieve in my career. Finishing that film felt like the right time to take a step back from the industry for a bit.

Actor Michael Fox decided to take a break from his career to focus on his family, and he looks back fondly on his time filming Bone Tomahawk, describing working with Kurt Russell as an amazing experience. They’re reuniting in Taylor Sheridan’s new miniseries, The Madison, which begins streaming on Paramount+ this Saturday, March 14th. Despite not speaking for ten years, they quickly fell back into a comfortable working relationship on set. The Madison follows the Clyburn family – played by Fox, Russell, and Michelle Pfeiffer – as they move from New York City to Montana after a difficult event. Given the strong connection Fox and Russell had in Bone Tomahawk, audiences can expect great things from their new project.

I’m really impressed with Zahler’s film – it just proves how strong and adaptable the Western genre still is! Taylor Sheridan deserves a lot of credit for bringing it back into the spotlight with Yellowstone. He took those classic Western themes – things like self-reliance – and blended them perfectly with the kind of family drama you see in high-quality TV. Now, with The Madison and working again with Fox and Russell – the same team that surprised us with the horror of Bone Tomahawk – Sheridan is clearly continuing to evolve that frontier spirit for modern audiences. It’s exciting to see him keep pushing the boundaries of the genre.

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2026-03-13 20:12