Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)

Genre films have been raising the bar, delivering their niche goodness with high quality scripts, performances, a film making. What used to the be the sole domain of cheaply put together projects now come with higher budgets and more professionalism. Extreme action has had some good films lately (like John Wick) and now it gets another film which exceeds expectations in Brawl in Cell Block 99.

Brawl in Cell Block 99 really isn't want you expect it to be. It appears it's just going to be a big prison fight scene drawn out to movie length. It isn't that. It's so much more. Brawl is a smartly crafted tale of desperation. A good man whose made many mistakes is on a path that just keeps getting worse. When pinned between the extreme rock and the terribly hard place, he comes up with a plan to survive the only way he knows how. And it's a tragically beautiful, while viciously brutal, tale that hits you in the gut. Brawl isn't the sort of film you'll forget easily.

Writer/director S. Craig Zahler invests time and artistry into building his characters. Like a Tarantino film without the snark, Zahler's imbues his film with backstory for his three dimensional characters. He also films his story beautifully, making his film a gorgeous savagery. Vaughn is the best he's been in years, best he's been since the beginning of his career, before Wedding Crashers, when he was trying to be an actor.  Zahler is a visceral film maker who is showing a true talent and I can't wait to see what he does next.

Brawl in Cell Block 99 is almost a bait and switch. What promises to be b-movie gore turns into something so completely different, complex and satisfying filled with one centrally strong performance and packing an emotional punch that leaves you rocked.

Brawl in Cell Block 99
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Don Johnson, Udo Kier
Writer/Director: S. Craig Zahler