A RIVER OF SKULLS is an indie western which is perhaps the best realised I've seen given the budget range, at least in terms of setting; a realistic, living, breathing western town is depicted here with some skill and finesse on the part of the set designers and costumers. A shame, then, that the story isn't up to much and generally fails to invest you in the lives and motivations of the main characters. It's ultimately a hollow experience, one which can easily be transcended by watching just about any mainstream western instead.