The frontier isn't kind to wagon trains in movies, but in the new Western Frontier Crucible (2025), it's downright cruel. The upcoming western thriller from the producer of Bone Tomahawk arrives in theaters and digitally on December 5, 2025.
The film, which also features Armie Hammer in his first major role after a years-long hiatus, follows a wagon train loaded with critical medical supplies as it makes its way through hostile territory. The only man who can guide it to its destination is Merrick Beckford, but to get there, he must team up with a trio of dangerous outlaws as interested in surviving as they are in getting paid.
Director: Travis Mills
Writer: Harry Whittington
Stars: William H. Macy, Joshua Odjick, Thomas Jane
In an exclusive interview with Military.com, star Thomas Jane and director Travis Mills discuss the brutal 18-day shoot, how they approached the settler-Apache conflict, and why proper gun handling was important for military and law enforcement viewers.
The cast proves to be an unavoidable distraction for Frontier Crucible, a well-executed but forgettable fictional film. I use the term "vintage" because, aside from the graphically gory violence it depicts, the film, which easily earns its R rating, could have been released in the 1950s. It's easy to imagine the songs on the soundtrack, composed by Sean Rowe, performed by Frankie Laine. It includes scenes shot in Monument Valley, reminiscent of John Ford, and its characters could have starred in an Anthony Mann film.
The film, directed by Travis Mills, is based on the 1961 novel "Desert Watch" by Harry Whittington, who died in 1989, so presumably he had nothing to do with the uncredited screenplay. Set primarily in Arizona in the 1870s, its laconic hero is Merrick Beckford, played by Myles Clohessy, who evokes Clint Eastwood. (He's the son of veteran actor Robert Clohessy, and if you don't recognize his name, you'll certainly recognize his face.)
Beckford delivers desperately needed medical supplies across treacherous Apache territory at the behest of a military officer, played by William H. Macy in a one-scene cameo. He has the misfortune of crossing paths with a trio of decidedly bad men, including Mule (a grizzled Thomas Jane, striking a villainous Walter Brennan), his hyperactive son Billy (Ryan Masson), and the menacing Edmund (Hammer, a distant memory from The Lone Ranger), who are recovering from an Apache attack. Also present are Jeff (Eli Brown), badly wounded, and his wife Valerie (Mary Stickley).
Conflicts soon erupt between the outlaws, who want to seize Beckford's horses; the couple, who want to reach the fort Beckford came from; and Beckford, determined to complete his mission. The situation worsens when an Apache man stumbles upon the group. He is clearly a friend of Beckford's, with a long history in the tribe. But that doesn't stop the impulsive Billy from shooting the stranger dead. Beckford knows that, instead of solving the problem, it only means they'll soon be attacked by other Apaches seeking revenge.
The simmering tensions within the group form the basis of the plot, with a secondary element: Beckford's discovery of his brother's horribly mutilated body. But that's just the prelude to a couple of vivid climactic sequences; the first takes place when the Apaches catch up with the group. "It's time for the crucible," their chief announces, followed by a very graphic torture scene that, the filmmakers proudly inform us, was depicted entirely with special effects. These effects are certainly convincing, enough to make all but the most daring viewers look away. When the Apaches finally leave, the survivors turn on each other, with equally brutal results.
The film more closely resembles the 2015 cult western, Bone Tomahawk, which is unsurprising, given that producer Dallas Sonnier (who has also had his share of controversy) produced that film, as well as several others directed by S. Craig Zahler, such as Brawl in Cell Block 99 and Dragged Across Concrete. Unfortunately, director Mills lacks Zahler's flair, so the sluggish Frontier Crucible never gains narrative momentum despite its hyper-violent episodes. And while the lead actor, Clohessy, certainly meets the physical requirements, he lacks the charisma needed to carry the film.
The supporting actors perform better, with Jane, in an atypical turn, becoming a memorable villain, and Hammer displaying the screen presence that made him a star. And the film certainly looks spectacular, with cinematographer Maxime Alexandre (High Tension, The Nun) making the most of the rugged Western locations.
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