Vince Vaughn Delivers a Career-Defining Performance in Badass Prison Drama 'Brawl in Cell Block 99'

In Brawl in Cell Block 99, Vince Vaughn plays Bradley Thomas, a recovered alcoholic and former drug courier.  After getting fired from his job and with his marriage on the rocks, he returns to the life of drug dealing, believing that it’s the only recourse left for him.  Months later, he and his wife (Jennifer Carpenter) are living in a better, more expensive home, and are expecting a child.  All is going well for Bradley, until a shipment pickup goes sideways.  He’s caught by the police, sentenced, and thrown to jail.  At first, his plan is to patiently serve his time, looking forward to rejoin his family.  Unfortunately, that won’t be the case, as he’s forced to perform a series of violent acts, culminating into one vicious brawl.

I like Vince Vaughn.  He’s great in doing both comedic and serious roles, and I think he has what it takes to win an Oscar.  With this mind, Brawl in Cell Block 99 could be his most definitive movie yet – the movie he’ll be best known for.  He’s fantastic here.  His acting impeccably realized his character – an intimidating, determined exterior with a tormented, struggling interior.

Brawl in Cell Block 99 is basically channeling old-school grindhouse action films.  Thus, it displays unrestrained, brutal action sequences that are extremely gratifying to watch.  However, the film takes its time getting at these parts.  It patiently peels off the main character and sets up his situation.  As a result, the slow-pace and long runtime make the film feel tedious sometimes.

Moreover, there are moments where the gore looks mostly fake.  There’s even one scene where a man is shot at, and it’s pretty obvious that it’s a mannequin.  But I feel this isn’t really a mistake.  Again, the film is trying to be the grindhouse films of old, and those films are known for their blatantly fake practical effects.  Thus, it’s likely that the use of mannequin and such are deliberate – stylistic choices of director S. Craig Zahler.

In the end, Brawl in Cell Block 99 is a badass, entertaining film.  Anchored on Vince Vaughn’s compelling and nuanced performance, it delivers a gritty, violent prison drama that contains the appeal of an exploitation film and the chic of arthouse.