Review – The Burrowers

Impressive. I’ve long thought that horror and the western would make a good combination, though I’m surprised at how seldom I’ve been proven right. But boy does this ever. The thesis here is that the open prairie is inhabited by a strange kind of monster known to the locals as the Burrowers. They paralyze their victims, bury them alive, wait for them to soften up a bit, and then return to eat them. The protagonist’s pursuit of his Burrower-kidnapped fiancée leads through no end of interesting situations as western staples – particularly anti-Indian prejudice – get in the way of efforts to unravel the mystery. The beasts themselves don’t actually put in an appearance until late in the picture, but they’re worth the wait. The story is hard on everyone involved – including horses – and isn’t likely to win any feel-good awards. But that just makes it all the better. Buy the disc