Brawl in Cell Block 99

2017 • 132 minutes

About this movie

Brawl in Cell Block 99 is the hugely acclaimed thriller, critics are calling 'one of the films of 2017’ (Hey U Guys). When former boxer (Vince Vaughn) loses his job and is faced with the breakdown of his marriage, he decides to take a job as a drug courier to turn his fortunes around and provide a comfortable life for his wife Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter). Just as his situation begins to improve, a savage gunfight lands Bradley in jail where he has to make a series of impossible, chilling decisions to protect those he holds dear. Backed into a corner, Bradley now finds himself forced to commit ever more ferocious acts of violence across a vicious prison battleground on the path to the most dangerous confinement of all - Cell Block 99 . From the writer & director of the critically lauded Western, Bone Tomahawk, a stellar cast, including Don Johnson (Django Unchained), Udo Kier (Iron Sky), Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) and featuring Vince Vaughn (Hacksaw Ridge) in the most powerful and transformative performance of his career, Brawl in Cell Block 99 is a brutal account of one man’s journey to the most punishing incarceration imaginable. - ( Original Title - Brawl in Cell Block 99 )

Ratings and reviews

Bloody awful. Started off interesting to see VV in a serious dramatic role, could have gone somewhere interesting, but became increasingly unrealistic with cardboard cutout characters, and just got more and more ridiculous. Want to see Vince Vaughan as the best fighter in the world ever clunkily beat up everyone and never meet his match, even several on one? Want to see a prison wing deep underground with sawdust and broken glass floors and remote control superslendertone belts with the baddest of the bad prisoners, yet you get to wear your chains conveniently loosely in your large private cell with viewing windows for friendly chit-chat with the nonce next door? How about some increasingly awful prosthetics as he peels faces off the baddie whilst the baddie boss and two remaining henchmen stand by? Every exhausted cliche. No clever ending. Vince Vaughan is a capable actor, so why he took this terrible script in this low budget hack-up is bizarre, I can only assume they have his wife hostage somewhere as per his character in the film (not really a spoiler TBH, the whole movie is signposted so obviously). 92% on RT is 82% too many. No wonder I'd never heard of this film.

Bloody brilliant actually. It's funny, violent and it gradually develops into a really compelling story. Also, there is a certain element of unsettling horror - quite like Bone Tomahawk - as Vince Vaugn's circumstances get very desperate. VV is excellent in the role and plays a really interesting character. The film seems a bit anachronistic with it being centred around a patriotic male, but I loved it all the more for that. It was a thoroughly enjoyable, absorbing film and I highly recommend it.

Starts slow then gathers pace for a cool ending. surprising movie in that I was expecting it to be complete rubbish though turns out to be one of the better movies I've seen recently. Some pretty gory fight scenes, simple but effective plot. Nice little character-rich cameos by the supporting cast, good screen play. No cliches or unnecessary special effects. Good watch.