Directed and written by Howard J. Ford (DarkGame, Escape), Bone Keeper digs its claws into classic creature-feature territory and refuses to let go. With a cast led by Sarah Alexandra Marks, Louis James, Tiffany Hannam-Daniels, and genre heavyweight John Rhys-Davies, this is a film that wears its horror influences proudly on its blood-slicked sleeve. The setup is pure pulp: a cosmic fireball, a missing man in 1976, a single haunting frame of Super 8 film, and a legend festering in the dark.
Ford leans heavily into the atmosphere, and horror hounds will appreciate the slow-burn tension that simmers before the carnage kicks in. The cave system becomes a character in itself — claustrophobic, suffocating, and dripping with dread. There’s a pleasing throwback energy here, evoking the grimy paranoia of ‘70s eco-horror and the DIY nastiness of Britain’s banned era. The grainy Super 8 element is a particularly nice touch, grounding the cosmic premise in something tactile and retro.
Performance-wise, Sarah Alexandra Marks carries the emotional core as Wheeler’s granddaughter, determined yet increasingly unhinged as the truth closes in. Louis James and Tiffany Hannam-Daniels round out the doomed explorer ensemble with solid turns, while John Rhys-Davies lends gravitas that elevates the material beyond standard creature-feature fare. The dialogue can veer into exposition at times, but once the group descends into the caves, it’s survival mode — and that’s where the film thrives.
Now, for the Video Nasties crowd — yes, Bone Keeper has teeth. The creature design is satisfyingly grotesque, glimpsed just enough to spark imagination before revealing more in bursts of violence. The kills are mean-spirited without tipping into parody, and Ford doesn’t shy away from bone-crunching brutality. There’s a rawness to the stalking sequences that feels refreshingly unpolished, almost like you’ve unearthed a forbidden VHS from the back of a dusty rental shop.
The tone walks a tightrope between cosmic dread and grindhouse savagery. There’s an undercurrent of nihilism running through the film — a sense that the woods and caves don’t care who you are or why you’ve come. When the spatter hits, it hits hard. The gore isn’t cartoonish; it’s wet, sticky, and uncomfortably intimate. Limbs snap with ugly finality, blood sprays across cold stone walls, and the aftermath of each attack lingers just long enough to make you squirm. It’s the kind of splatter that feels earned rather than indulgent, amplifying the hopelessness rather than distracting from it.
Ultimately, Bone Keeper is a love letter to practical creature horror with a cosmic twist. It’s not reinventing the genre, but it understands what horror hounds crave: atmosphere, mythology, and a monster worth fearing. For fans of cave-set terror and throwback British nastiness, this is one legend well worth chasing into the dark.
Plaion Pictures is delighted to announce that Howard J. Ford's Bone Keeper is set to celebrate its World Premiere at FrightFest Glasgow to an already sold-out crowd on 6th March. The film will then be released across all major UK Digital Platforms from 6th April.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:
Director: Howard J. Ford
Writer: Howard J. Ford
Cast: John Rhys-Davies; Sarah Alexandra Marks; Louis James
Genre: Horror
Tagline: Face Your Darkest Fears
Memorable Movie Quote: "This is the site of the impact crater."
Distributor: Plaion Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: April 6, 2026
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
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.
