“Brawl in Cell Block 99” (2017) written & directed by S. Craig Zahler, starring Vince Vaughn and Don Johnson / Z-View

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)

Director:  S. Craig Zahler

Screenplay: S. Craig Zahler

Stars: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Don Johnson, Victor Almanzar, Willie C. Carpenter, Mustafa Shakir, Clark Johnson, Michael Medeiros, Jonathan Lee and Tom Guiry.

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Bradley Thomas is a 6’5″ bruiser with an anger problem.  When Bradley is laid off and unable to get work, he turns to dealing drugs.  Things go well for a while.  Then Bradley’s boss gets a new partner named Eleazar.  When Bradley is sent on a delivery with two of Eleazar’s thugs, things go sideways.  After a shootout with the police, Bradley is arrested, tried and sentenced to seven years in a medium-security prison.

Eleazar reaches out to Bradley.  Eleazar threatens to kill Bradley unborn child unless Bradley kills another inmate.  The problem is the other inmate is in Redleaf, a maximum security prison reserved for the worst of the worst.

Bradley does what he must to get transferred to Redleaf.  Once there, Bradley is the target of Warden Tuggs and the guards.  Worse still, Bradley learns that Eleazar and his gang on inmates of the prison.  Bradley has been set up for execution.

With no options and only a desire to save his wife and unborn child, Bradley prepares for what comes next.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If you only know Vince Vaughn from comedies, check out Brawl in Cell Block 99.  You’ll believe he’s a thug.  He put on 15 pounds of muscle working out for the role.

Don Johnson is excellent.

S. Craig Zahler wrote Brawl in Cell Block 99 before Bone Tomahawk.

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) rates 5 of 5 stars