Review of Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) by Spangle — 14 Oct 2017

In his directorial debut two years ago, S. Craig Zahler created a gripping, scary, and deeply violent western. Bone Tomahawk was imperfect to be sure, but was nonetheless a fun bit of western horror, blending together two genres that rarely mesh together. Yet, in spite of this rather unique path, Zahler directed it with great gusto and skill. In the years since, Bone Tomahawk has largely become known for a scene of absolute horrific violence. For those that have seen the film, the scene needs no introduction. For those that have not, some things are better left as a mystery. Recognizing that audiences really responded to this slow burn style that explodes into graphic midnight madness violence, Zahler followed it up with Brawl in Cell Block 99. Starring Vince Vaughn, the film tells the story of a man sent to prison for trafficking drugs. After his wife is kidnapped, he is told he must get himself transferred to a maximum security prison and kill a man in the notorious Cell Block 99. A dark corner of the world that, as Warden Tuggs (Don Johnson) says, Amnesty International would frown upon, it is in this prison that much of the film is set.

As time goes on after the release of Brawl in Cell Block 99, it is hard to not imagine the film gaining a reputation for its violence. One scene in cinematic history that really sticks with me is in David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly. As two men arm wrestle, one of their arms snaps with the bones protruding. This, minus the arm wrestling, happens at least three times in Brawl in Cell Block 99 with limbs snapping like twigs under the weight of Bradley Thomas' (Vaughn) incredibly brawny exterior. Legs and arms, no matter. Similarly, a scene that has become infamous is one from American History X. In it, a skinhead curb stomps a black man. Fortunately, the viewer only has to hear the sound. In Brawl in Cell Block 99, three men have their heads crushed in with every gory detail shown and one even has their head repeatedly stomped on until it is decapitated. If this sounds like something you are into, then boy is Brawl in Cell Block 99 the film for you. For those that do not like this, then it is best to avoid this particular film.

Oddly enough, it is this violence that often holds the film back. It is graphic, yes, but the film is never quite disturbing. It is cartoonish, 1980s violence akin to Cronenberg including exploding heads in Scanners or body horror in any number of films. It is intended to creep audiences and make them uncomfortable, but often lacks the justification. Instead, it plays as cheap attempts to gross out the audience instead of actually carrying much purpose or weight. These moments can be carried out without such violence and its inclusion feels like recognition by Zahler that there is not enough meat on this film. It is cheap entertainment for those that enjoy excessive gore. It is a mean-spirited film that derives great pleasure from this level of violence to the point that it would suffice as an admission of insanity by Zahler.

Recognizing this lack of depth and coming to realization that this two-hour long film will really drag given the lack of depth, Zahler sprinkles in some thematic consideration early on about a variety of topics. Losing his job, finding out his wife is cheating, opting to run drugs for a friend to replace his income, and then eventually going to the end of the Earth to save his wife and child, Brawl in Cell Block 99 demonstrates the lengths a man will go to in order to save his family. Willing to sacrifice himself so that they may live, Bradley Thomas often serves as a representation of this drive and selflessness than even the most hardened criminal can demonstrate. However, beyond this rather simplistic element, Zahler's film does little it is not upfront about. Decrying conditions in American prisons, comparing them to European prisons, lamenting about the harsh treatment for drug offenders compared to violent offenders, showing the harsh and brutal conditions of maximum security prison that violates global mandates regarding torture, the horrible food, and the overcrowding, there are few hot-button prison-related issues that the film leaves untouched. Never really providing depth to them beyond Zahler using characters as mouthpieces to espouse these beliefs, Brawl in Cell Block 99 feels like a film of two worlds. On one hand, Zahler half-heartedly tries to provide depth by decrying the state of prisons in America. On the other, it is a horrifyingly violent film that serves as light-hearted midnight madness fare. In the end, neither side gels given Zahler's heavy-handed treatment of the former in order to focus on the latter. If actually given enough time to develop these themes, the film could have been quite the violent statement about the violence inherent in the system, but too often, the film seems to lose track of this messaging.