Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)

Directed by: S. Craig Zahler | 132 minutes | crime, drama | Actors: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Don Johnson, Udo Kier, Marc Blucas, Don Mucciacito, Geno Segers, Victor Almanzar, Tom Guiry, Willie C. Carpenter, Mustafa Shakir, Fred Melamed, Clark Johnson, Devon Windsor, Michael Medeiros

When former boxer Bradley Thomas (Vince Vaughn) loses his job while his marriage is collapsing, he takes a job as a drug mule. He wants to turn the tide and make sure that his wife, who is looking for happiness in the arms of another, will lack for nothing from now on. However, after a fierce firefight, Bradley ends up in jail. There, he must make some impossible and horrifying decisions to save everything he holds dear. Further cornered, Bradley resorts to even more brutal violence that takes him to the most dangerous part of the prison: Cell Block 99.

We mostly know Vince Vaughn from high wink comedies like ‘Old School’, ‘Wedding Crashers’ or ‘The Watch’. But the man also has a rawer side. For example, in season two of the “True Detective” series, Vaughn already showed that he can also handle dark character roles well. This is shown again in ‘Brawl in Cell Block 99’. Vaughn is convincing from start to finish as jailed ex-boxer Bradley Thomas, a complex character. Rough shell type, white spirit, a fighter who does not shy away from violence, but at the same time tries to be a loving father and husband. Though driven by desperation, he chooses the wrong path and is forced into prison to use brute force in order to survive, Bradley always sticks to his moral compass.

The excellent performance of Vaughn is, partly due to a strong support cast, embedded in an excellently balanced film. ‘Brawl in Cell Block 99’ convincingly manages to find the right balance between action, drama, tragedy and realism. Moreover, that delicate balance is preserved throughout most of the print. Although the playing time is considerable at more than two hours and the story unfolds somewhat slowly at first, the film is rarely boring. The long runtime offers just enough space for much-needed character development. Moreover, the somewhat slow pace of the first hour is more than made up for by an intense and dazzling grand finale.

The (actually functional) graphical action in ‘Brawl in Cell Block 99’ may scare some viewers off, but anyone who can see through that has a fine film in their hands with this work. Raw, captivating, hard-hitting and carried by a Vince Vaughn like we’ve rarely seen him before.