Dead in Tombstone (2013)

Guerrero (Danny Trejo) is murdered by the brigands he leads. In Hell, he makes a deal with Satan (Mickey Rourke). Satan will permit Guerrero to stay alive, if he can kill all his murderers within 24 hours.

Essentially, Dead in Tombstone is one of Danny Trejo’s best movies, capitalising on his leading man success in Machete (2010). With his intimidating appearance and badass action star prowess, Trejo was born to lead a western production. Additionally, whereas other actors are obviously posturing as tough guys, Trejo’s real criminal past textures Dead in Tombstone with noticeable verisimilitude. With a story influenced by The Crow (1994), this flick enjoyably amalgams the western with fantasy.

The stunning action set pieces are shot with handheld cameras. This bestows Dead in Tombstone with a fresh, visceral immediacy, previously unfelt in the genre. Moreover, the production design is of the highest calibre, with artful, authentic sets and costumes. Unfairly maligned, Dead in Tombstone is, in fact, hugely entertaining and deserving of more praise. The sequel, Dead Again in Tombstone (2017), is similarly delightful for western devotees. It includes Civil War soldier zombies.