Greetings from FANTASTIC FEST 2017.
BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99
Director S. Craig Zahler's followup to BONE TOMAHAWK is a success on so many levels. First of all, this film is just absurdly fun to watch. I honestly had a great time with it.
BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 also contains a great mix of character development and action. Vince Vaughn has never been this cool or badass on screen, EVER. His performance is both subtle and energetic. I became quite invested in what would become of his character, Bradley Thomas, who could go from calm and calculating to physically explosive, almost instantaneously. I actually gave a damn about a protagonist in an action movie, and I can't say that that happens very often.
BRAWL has action and violence that may be over the top for some, but it is so well choreographed and shot that I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. And the combat is always used as a deliberate means to an end, and it actually drives the plot of the film, almost becoming its own character, that is always looming just right around the corner. I am little embarrassed to admit just how cathartic the violence is in this film, at least it was for me and the audience that I saw it with.
BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 has a general release date of October 6. Don't miss your chance to see it in theaters with an audience. I'm glad that I did. At my screening, I was also pleased to hear Zahler make an announcement that he and Vaughn had just finished filming on another movie that they made together. I'll be eagerly looking out for that one. Thanks for reading.
Flesh
