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4K Ultra HD Review: ”Brawl In Cell Block 99” Is Unimaginably Brutal But Impossible To Look Away From

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A former boxer-turned-drug runner lands in a prison battleground after a deal gets deadly.

I’ve never been a big Vince Vaughn fan. He was good in “Swingers,” “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” and actually gave a chilling performance as Norman Bates in the 1998 remake of “Psycho” but as an actor, he just never appealed to me. After watching “Brawl in Cell Block 99,” that changed and I now find myself going back through his large assemblage of titles to check out some of his earlier performances. When director S. Craig Zahler debuted his directorial feature, a western called “Bone Tomahawk” starring Kurt Russell in 2015, it premiered to glowing reviews with people calling him the next Quentin Tarantino and while I am not a fan of Tarantino’s, I have to agree that Zahler’s first feature impressed the hell out of me (you can read my review here). The film was authentic, intriguing, and contained some scenes of absolute brutality in which I found myself flinching and almost looking away from so when I received a copy of his latest film, “Brawl in Cell Block 99,” I was excited to check it out but just like “Bone Tomahawk,” it is filled with moments of ferocious and merciless violence which, once again, had me almost looking away. I only mention this because I have been a horror film aficionado since I was about 12 years old and believe you me, I have seen my fair share of violent movies but as an indie filmmaker for over 30 years and a film critic, I understand, better than most, the technical process that goes into making them so when a filmmaker can make a picture that has that effect on me, I stand up and take notice of them.

Vaughn plays Bradley Thomas, an ex-boxer who works for an auto repair company. When he is laid off because of cutbacks, he decides to go back to work for an old friend of his, Gil (Marc Blucas) delivering drugs. Several years go by and Bradley and his pregnant wife Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter), who were struggling before, are now living a life of luxury but when Gil asks him to do a job for an old acquaintance, Eleazar (Dion Mucciacito), and Eleazar informs him that he will bring two of his men along with him, Bradley reluctantly agrees as he likes to work alone but when the deal goes bad and the two men start shooting at cops, Bradley shoots them both dead and ends up in prison. He is sentenced to seven years at a medium-security prison for not giving up his employers’ names but soon after starting his sentence, he is visited by a man who works for Eleazar who states that because he botched the job, he lost a lot of money and as a result, wants payback or they will kill his wife Lauren. He is told that there is a prisoner named Christopher Bridge he wants dead but the only problem is, he’s at Red Leaf Penitentiary, a maximum security prison on the other side of the state so Bradley starts beating up fellow inmates and guards until he is transferred to Red Leaf. Once there, however, he quickly surmises that there is no prisoner with that name and that he is there for Eleazar to exact vengeance on him but with Lauren’s life on the line, he is willing to do absolutely anything to keep her safe.

The movie takes its time setting up the plot and that of its two protagonists, Bradley and his wife Lauren. For the most part, Bradley is the strong silent type, keeping to himself and once he begins his sentence, he just wants to do his time and get out to see his family but when he is blackmailed by Eleazar, there is no force on earth that will stop him from saving his wife and unborn child by doing whatever it is he needs to do, regardless of who gets hurt in the process. Bradley says very little but his actions most certainly speak louder than words and while he knows that he must hurt people along the way to achieve his final objective, sometimes men who just happen to share the same space as him, through his facial expressions and body language you can tell that he doesn’t particularly like hurting those who have done him no wrong but in order to save his family, he must do whatever it takes. Director S. Craig Zahler intentionally takes his time telling the story, much like he did with his previous outing, “Bone Tomahawk” but it serves its purpose as we get to know Bradley with each passing moment, even when he’s doing nothing but sitting in a cell, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. We feel for him, and share in his pain. The fact that a drug lord has his pregnant wife held hostage and is threatening to do them harm, and there’s not a damn thing he can do about it, gives an almost claustrophobic feel that stays with you long after the film is over. This has to be one of my favorite movies of 2017 and I would highly recommend it but if you are in the least bit unnerved by violence, then steer clear because the ferocity and savagery in which Bradley’s physical onslaught is displayed, is not something you will soon forget.

Available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo & DVD Tuesday, December 26th

 

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Patrick Kelly
Patrick Kelly
5 years ago

Why do i love this movie so much?, like you i wasn’t a big fan of Vaughn’s until i saw him in True Detective s02 but in this he’s magnetic & i couldn’t imagine anyone else as Bradley, definitely not Brad. Now I’m at the stage where I wait with baited breath for S. Craig Zahler’s next offering Dragged Across Concrete, also with Vince Vaughn. Loved your review, keep up the good work.

James McDonald

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, James is a Movie Critic with 40 years of experience in the film industry as an Award-Winning Filmmaker. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association.