Tags:
Film: Bone Keeper
Year: 2026
Director: Howard J. Ford
Writer: Howard J. Ford
Starring: John Rhys-Davies, Sarah Alexandra Marks and Louis James
Review:
This was a film that I got the chance to see thanks to Keir from Strike Media. He sent over the press release alerting that this made its premiere at FrightFest in Glasgow. The title looked interesting. Seeing that this was an independent horror film released in 2026 added to it. I did see that this appeared to be a creature feature, which is a sub-genre that I’m a fan of. That was enough to agree to check it out for review.
Synopsis: six young friends investigate missing persons cases in a remote cave system, unaware they’re being stalked by an ancient creature lurking in the depths.
We start this in the pre-historic past. It was 400,000 years ago when a meteor crashed into Earth. A creature emerges from it. It has tentacles with mouths at the end and long teeth. There is a nearby cave that it goes into. We then see a family of cave people being attacked by this.
The film then shifts to 1976. A journalist named David Wheeler investigates the cave. He knows there’s something not right about it. All the information we’re learning is done by voice-over narration from his granddaughter, Olivia (Sarah Alexandra Marks). David has a camera and finds a jawbone. He’s attacked, getting back to the mouth before he’s pulled back in.
It then is the present. Olivia's mother, Lucy (Angela Dixon), disappeared while looking into the disappearance of her father. Olivia and her friends—Ethan (Louis Jame) who is the driver, Nick (Tyler Winchcombe), and best friend Annabelle (Tiffany Hannam-Daniels)—set out to investigate. They are joined by Ravi (Danny Rahim) and Nadia (Sophia Eleni) who come to collect samples. The last member is a hitchhiking travel influencer named Ashley (Sarah T. Cohen), who goes by "Bitch-Hiker." She is picked up by the group.
They arrive in the area the night before they plan to explore. There is a pub in their inn so they ask the bartender what she knows. Her name is Linda (Pat Garrett). Hearing why they’re here upsets Price (Price Lindsey) and Ruskin (Marco Antonio Lee Clifton). Cooler heads prevail.
This does lead them to meeting Professor Harisson (John Rhys-Davies). He doesn’t want to provide them with the information that they’re looking for. He is doing this to protect them. Seeing that no matter what he does, they’re going to go. He shows them what he has and warns them to stick together. He also doesn’t recommend them spending too much time in the caves. There is a monster that makes anyone who enters disappear. It is scary what he shows them, but they also don’t fully believe him.
They go about exploring the cave. Part of them doesn’t want to encounter this monster that they saw in Prof. Harisson’s file. They also want to be the ones to register the discovery. They don’t heed the warning that they were given and it becomes a fight for their lives, trying to get out of the cave before it is too late.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is by saying that this has a good set up. I love this idea that hundreds of thousands of years ago there was a meteor that crashed on Earth. We’ve seen this from things like The Thing or Creepshow. Having it happen pre-historically and seeking out a nearby cave is good. It is plausible that it adds realism. There is a comment at one point about how the cave provides a similar setup to what brought it to Earth. It just has more room to grow.
Now that I have that set up, let’s talk more about the creature itself. What I like is that we get just enough information. Prof. Harisson gives an information dump. He is limited in what he knows though. There is just an image on the film that was recorded by David back in the 1970s. The professor, when he was a boy, was also attacked by it, leaving horrible scars on his legs. It also came with an extended recovery. Having Ravi and Nadia looking at samples, which helps to explain more before they’re attacked. These are all positives.
Let’s then explore our group and what brings them here. It is interesting that David, being a journalist, needed to find the truth. It feels like he abandoned his daughter. She then has a similar drive to figure out what happened to her father, which feels a bit like generational disappearances. She has also abandoned her daughter, Olivia, who is now coming here to find out what happened to them. She has good friends who agree to help. It does add to it that the duo who are collecting samples want to tag along.
There are then other themes to bring up which would include nature being indifferent. This uncharted area with a cosmic horror. It is a bit Lovecraftian with the tentacles and it being an entity that has been here before humans. There is a nihilism that comes with it. You can also see that this monster is the apex predator, reversing the food chain and making humans the prey. It is also interesting that the creature collects bones, almost like a macabre collection. This is an interesting idea about unexplored areas and what could be hiding there.
Where I then want to go would be filmmaking. The cinematography and framing are good, enhancing the claustrophobic feeling of the isolated cave—a strong element. The effects, mostly CGI, are generally effective, especially when brief or shadowed, though some moments lack polish. The sound design is fitting, particularly the beast's roars and a recurring humming tune that hints at the entity's nature. In general, I thought that it was made well for the budget they were working with.
All that is left then would be the acting performances. Marks is good as our lead. I’ve seen her previously in a similar size film and so far, she does well in bringing her characters to life. James, Hannam-Daniels, Rahim, Eleni, Winchcombe and Cohen work as the rest of that group. What I like there is that we have a large group, that I know each of the characters and they’re cannon fodder. I liked Rhys-Davies as our expert character. Other than that, the rest of the cast was fine to round this out for what was needed.
In conclusion, this is a solid independent creature feature that succeeds by merging elements of cosmic horror and claustrophobic survival. The film benefits from a compelling historical setup, effective use of the environment, and a narrative drive built on generational mystery. While the limited budget shows in some of the visual effects, the strong performances, especially from Marks and Rhys-Davies, and thoughtful thematic layering about nature's indifference and humanity's insignificance elevate the overall experience. For fans of isolated setting horror and Lovecraftian creature designs, this is a satisfying entry that leverages its core concepts well to deliver an engaging horror journey.
My Rating: 6 out of 10