Brawl in Cell Block 99

     Brawl in Cell Block 99 is directed by S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) and stars Vince Vaughn (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter), and Don Johnson (Django Unchained). It tells the story of Bradley Thomas, a locked up drug runner who must learn how far he will go for the ones that he loves.
     S. Craig Zahler directed the film Bone Tomahawk, a criminally underrated western-horror-thriller hybrid that more people need to see. That film has some of the most unnerving scenes that I have seen put to film, so the prospect of a new Zahler film had me excited from day one. Vince Vaughn is hit and miss an actor, with more hits than misses. But last year's Hacksaw Ridge showed a different side of Vaughn, which led me to think we would get another good performance from him.
     This film is another gritty, dark drama that sputters but ultimately pays off in the end. Zahler's violent sensibilities are again on full display in the best way possible. Another low budget affair aids the creativity and the lengths a filmmaker has to go to show anguish on full display. No moments of levity give you as the viewer a moment to breathe as Vaughn dives deeper into the underground world of the prison system.
     Vaughn is near unrecognizable as Bradley Thomas. A shaved head and cross tattooed on his skull are just the start of his transformation. Although he is still smug, his quips are kept to minimum, replaced by stares and intimidating stances as he fights his way through whatever is in front of him. His performance alone is worth watching the film. Don Johnson also shows up for a small role as the warden of the highest security prison, and he eats up every second he is on the screen.
     But at a certain point, the bleakness crosses a line. The realism of the film is put to the side as Zahler looks for a way to continue the violence for no apparent reason. From a gore standpoint, it is pretty fun. But the story seems to rest on the violence and when that is what propels a movie forward, it does not have as much of an impact. Violence for the sake of violence is not compelling.
     Overall, Brawl in Cell Block 99 is a good character study for Vince Vaughn from an interesting upcoming creative mind. The violence, while gritty, feels overbearing, which stalls the movie towards the end. But the movie is still worth viewing, which you can do today.

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