Pandora (Heather Graham) and her daughter Hester (Brielle Robillard) live an isolated existence in the Wild West of 1876. Separated from the closest town by 90 miles, theirs is a solitary life after the passing of the family patriarch. Then one morning Hester finds Calhoun (Corin Nemic) passed out bleeding on their land. After nursing Calhoun back to some resemblance of health, Pandora discovers that Calhoun is an outlaw and there’s another group of bandits, led by Bear John (Tom Hopper) after him and the money in his saddle bags. And taking Calhoun in has set Pandora and Hester directly in the path of danger.
A simple story at heart, Place of Bones manages to succeed as well as it does due to the deft hand behind the camera of director Audrey Cummings. Credit also goes to the reliably strong performances from Graham and Nemic. The setting is one basic farmhouse area and the wilderness surrounding it, but the cabin is well-made and believable. The film does meander before much action takes place, waiting until the last third to dole out much of the bloodshed. However, the action is well orchestrated once it does come.
The twist that arrives at the end of the film is sure to be divisive, as it’s never hinted at or imagined at any other point in the film. It’s a little nod to another more macabre element to the story that dots the isolated surroundings and drives the final nail in the proverbial coffin.
- Rated: R
- Genre: Drama, Thriller, Western
- Release Date: 3/20/2024
- Directed by: Audrey Cummings
- Starring: Brielle Robillard, Corin Nemic, Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone, Gattlin Griffith, Heather Graham, Ray Abruzzo, Tom Hopper, Zachary Keller
- Produced by: Joe Heath, Richard Lott, Robert A. Daly Jr.
- Written by: Richard Taylor
- Studio: Goldrush Entertainment, Highland Film Group, Latigo Films
