{{more citations needed|date=October 2014}} {{Use British English|date=June 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox film | name = The Bone Snatcher | image = The-Bone-Snatcher.jpg | caption = Official teaser poster | director = Jason Wulfsohn | producer = Izidore Codron<br/>Koa Padolsky<br/>Chris Roland<br/>Malcolm Kohll | writer = Malcolm Kohll<br/>Gordon Render | starring = Scott Bairstow<br/>Rachel Shelley<br/>Adrienne Pearce | music = Paul Heard<br/>Mike Pickering | cinematography = Andreas Poulsson | editing = Richard Benwick | studio = The Imaginarium<br/>Focus Films<br/>Persistence Pictures Inc. | distributor = Overseas FilmGroup<br/>First Look International | released = {{Film date|df=y|2003|12|23}} | runtime = 96 minutes | country = United Kingdom<br/>Canada<br/>South Africa | language = English | budget = $6 million }}
'''''The Bone Snatcher''''' is a 2003 British-Canadian horror film directed by Jason Wolfsohn and starring Scott Bairstow, Rachel Shelley, and Adrienne Pearce. The film is based on a screenplay by Malcolm Kohll and Gordon Render.<ref>[http://www.reelfilm.com/bonesnat.htm The Bone Snatcher (2002) – A Review by David Nusair]</ref>
==Plot== When workers begin disappearing in a Namibian mine, Dr. Zack Straker and a search team are sent into the desert to find out why the geologists of a diamond expedition have lost radio contact. They arrive at the scientist's camp in the desert, but soon find the neatly gnawed bones of their colleagues and a trail that leads them to a strange rock formation. Soon it becomes clear that there is a murderous beast on the loose.
The researchers decided to investigate the structure, but in the gathering darkness, sheer hell breaks loose as the creature, composed of a swarm of ant-like insects wrapped around the bones of its victims, hunts them for their bones. A game of cat and mouse continues through the desert, with the team being slowly picked off and the bug and bone monster eventually being chased down in a derelict mine.
Zack finds it hard to decide to kill the yellow queen brain that controls the swarm that has killed dozens of people, but he eventually does so. Suddenly, the derelict mine structure starts to fall down, leaving Zack and Mikki to run back to the truck - where they find they are now the only survivors of the team. The film ends with Mikki driving into the distance, apparently oblivious that a box loaded into her taxi contains another queen brain.
==Cast== {{Cast listing| * Scott Bairstow as Dr. Zack Straker * Rachel Shelley as Mikki * Warrick Grier as Karl * Patrick Shai as Titus * Andre Weideman as Kurt * Adrienne Pearce as Magda * Patrick Lyster as Johan * Brian Claxton Payne as The Creature * Sean Higgs as Clive * Jan Ellis as Harvey * Langley Kirkwood as Paul * Lulama J. Nombiba as Old Man * Yusuf Hendrics as Taxi Driver * Andre Jacobs as Dr. Muller * Nikki Jackman as Mel * Chris April as Muti Man * Bo Petersen as Arctic Scientist 1 * Wayne Harrison as Arctic Scientist 2 * Rob van Vuuren as Arctic Scientist 3 }}
==Production== {{expand section|date=October 2014}} The film was shot in the year 2002 in the South African city Cape Town and in the desert from Namibia.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.movie-gazette.com/891/the-bone-snatcher | title=The Bone Snatcher – Movie Review | publisher=movie-gazette.com}}</ref>
==Release== ''The Bone Snatcher'' was released on DVD by First Look Pictures on 23 December 2003.<ref>[http://www.acidlogic.com/ra_bone_snatcher_draculas_curse.htm The Bone Snatcher | Dracula's Curse DVD review- Acid Logic ezine]</ref><ref name="almoveidvd">{{cite web|title=The Bone Snatcher (2003) - Jason Wulfsohn|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-bone-snatcher-v293087/releases|website=Allmovie.com|publisher=AllMove|access-date=6 June 2017}}</ref> It was re-released by Anchor Bay Entertainment on 26 July the following year. First Look later released the film on SteelBook on 5 May 2009.<ref name="almoveidvd">{{cite web|title=The Bone Snatcher (2003) - Jason Wulfsohn|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-bone-snatcher-v293087/releases|website=Allmovie.com|publisher=AllMove|access-date=6 June 2017}}</ref>
==Reception== {{expand section|date=April 2016}} Critical reception for ''The Bone Snatcher'' has been predominantly negative. Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 0%, based on {{nowrap|7 reviews}}, with a rating average of 3.14/10.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Bone Snatcher (2003)|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bone_snatcher|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango Media|access-date=2 January 2021}}</ref>
David Nusair of ''ReelFilm Reviews'' awarded the film a negative 1 out of a possible 4 stars, writing, "More than anything else, ''The Bone Snatcher'' is just dull. There's barely enough material here to fill a 15-minute short, let alone a 90-minute feature - and for a horror film, it's shockingly non-horrific".<ref name="reelfilmreview">{{cite web|last1=Nusair|first1=David|title=The Bone Snatcher (2002) - A Review by David Nusair|url=http://www.reelfilm.com/bonesnat.htm|website=Reel Film.com|publisher=David Nusair|access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref> Wayne Southworth of ''The Spinning Image'' gave the film 4/10 stars, criticizing the garbled language, which made understanding what the actor's were saying difficult. Southworth, however, commended the film's desert location as the best thing about the movie.<ref name="southworthrev">{{cite web |last1=Southworth |first1=Wayne |title=Bone Snatcher, The Review (2003) |url=http://www.thespinningimage.co.uk/cultfilms/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=902 |website=The Spinning Image.co.uk |publisher=Wayne Southworth |access-date=5 October 2018}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb title|0343449|The Bone Snatcher}} * {{Rotten tomatoes|bone_snatcher|The Bone Snatcher}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bone Snatcher}} Category:2003 films Category:2003 English-language films Category:English-language South African films Category:South African horror films Category:British horror television films Category:English-language Canadian films Category:2003 horror films Category:British monster movies Category:Films shot in Namibia Category:Canadian monster movies Category:Films shot in South Africa Category:Films set in deserts Category:Films set in Namibia Category:Syfy original films Category:2000s monster movies Category:American monster movies Category:2003 American films Category:2003 Canadian films Category:2003 British films Category:Films with screenplays by Malcolm Kohll Category:English-language science fiction horror films Category:2003 South African films