Writer/director S. Craig Zahler drops us into Brawl In Cell Block 99 which unabashedly puts the need for violence across the big screen and given audiences an anti-hero that they never quite expected.
Bradley (Vince Vaughn) is having a bad day, after a fight with his wife (Jennifer Carpenter) on the same day he loses his job this ex-boxer who had been looking to leave his life of violence behind him is forced into the world of drug running as a courier in order to make ends meet. This works for awhile until he gets caught up in a violent gun fight, is sent to jail and being blamed for the loss of the shipment he was responsible for. Surrounded on all sides by corrupt jailers, psychotic inmates with his wife in imminent danger he is thrust into a bear knuckled world of violence that he has to punch his way out of in order to save everything he holds dear.
You wouldn’t think this movie would fly by with its well over two hour run time, but it does and then some as Brawl In Cell Block 99 is an unabashed throw back to the Grindhouse cinema of yesteryear where violence is forced to solve everything. Vince Vaughn captures a quiet rage that is so relatable it’s actually a little scary and his performance is the true magic of this film as we see his Bradley go through hell, just to make things right.
David Voigt is a Toronto based writer with a problem and a passion for the moving image and all things cinema. Having moved from production to the critical side of the aisle for well over 15 years now at outlets like Examiner.com, Criticize This, Dork Shelf (Now That Shelf), and to.Night Newspaper.
He’s been all across the continent; serving on the FIPRESCI Jury at the Festival Du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal, covering festivals out side of Toronto like Calgary Underground Film Festival, CUFF Docs, Slamdance, Fantasia, SXSW, DOC NYC, Santa Barbara Film Festival, New York Asian Film Festival and many others
However, In the uncertain world of modern film journalism, David also knew that he needed to have a hand in writing and cementing his own contributions on the global film scene.
Having eclipsed the 10 year anniversary of his own outlet, In The Seats, where he’s been striving to support film (and TV) from all walks of life and his podcast “In The Seats With…” where after 5 & ½ years and over 750 episodes he’s talked with a wide variety of filmmakers, actors, behind the scenes artisans and so much more on the art of storytelling for the screen, which is spawning the launch of a new show in the Spring of 2026. “ITS: Soundtracks” will focus on the use of soundtrack and score in film which he believes is a combination that is the cinematic equivalent of Peanut Butter and Chocolate.
All this as well as hosting and moderating a variety of big screen events around the city, covering film in all its forms is just a way of life for him.
