Writer and director S. Craig Zahler may have only helmed three features to date, but he’s already built up a reputation as a master of unflinching violence that’s so brutal you may be forced to look away, with his debut Brawl in Cell Block 99 featuring one of the most heinous scenes you’re ever likely to see.
If you’re familiar with the film already, then you probably know exactly what we’re talking about. If you haven’t, then rest assured you won’t be left wondering how he came up with the title of his third effort, 2018’s Dragged Across Concrete. Funnily enough, both of those films starred Vince Vaughn, who cast his jovial comedic persona aside in jaw-dropping fashion.
Famed for his expert comic timing, motor-mouthed charisma, and sardonic charm, very few filmmakers leaned into the fact Vaughn is one hell of a unit until Zahler came along, refitting him as the imposing former boxer Bradley Thomas, who ends up being incarcerated after falling into the drug business in the wake of losing his job.
Relying on his skills as a fighter to survive and thrive behind bars, it’s easy to see why nobody wants to mess with him. Aside from the violence, Brawl in Cell Block 99 is an accomplished and intense thriller, one that’s been making a huge splash on the Netflix global charts.
Per FlixPatrol, the scorched-earth tale of retribution has entered the Top 10 in 22 countries to rank as the platform’s seventh most-watched title overall, and it’ll linger in the memory long after the credits come up.
