Overview
A desperate man will stop at nothing to save his wife and unborn child from a ruthless gang.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- brutal
- grim
- sardonic
- late night
- grindhouse double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the committed performances, especially Vince Vaughn’s against-type lead turn, and the film’s unapologetically brutal evocation of grindhouse exploitation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film uses vicious sincerity, prolonged brutality, and pulp criminal plotting to evoke 1970s exploitation fare.
Bradley accepts criminal work and attacks increasingly dangerous opponents to protect his kidnapped wife and unborn child.
Bradley’s prison fights are staged as prolonged, crushing confrontations with graphic bodily damage.
Vince Vaughn’s performance as Bradley replaces his familiar comedic persona with controlled menace and battered paternal resolve.
Films like Brawl in Cell Block 99, and why
Avengement
Shares brutal prison-set action, escalating revenge, and severe grindhouse violence.
Dragged Across Concrete
Shares neo-noir crime plotting, morally driven violence, and a hard-edged revenge structure.
Shot Caller
Shares prison brutality, desperate loyalty, and physically punishing action drama.
Bone Tomahawk
Shares exploitation aesthetics, relentless criminal violence, and a protagonist pushed beyond restraint.
Movie Details
- Director
- S. Craig Zahler
- Release Date
- 2017-09-23
- Runtime
- 132 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1639)
Cast
- Vince Vaughn
- Jennifer Carpenter
- Don Johnson
- Udo Kier
- Dion Mucciacito
- Geno Segers
- Mustafa Shakir
- Marc Blucas
- Tom Guiry
- Fred Melamed
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Brawl in Cell Block 99 about?
- A wronged family man enters a brutal prison underworld and wages a merciless campaign to save his kidnapped wife and unborn child.
- What is Brawl in Cell Block 99 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Brawl in Cell Block 99 as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Brawl in Cell Block 99 violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Brawl in Cell Block 99 as graphic.
- What did critics think of Brawl in Cell Block 99?
- Critics broadly praised the committed performances, especially Vince Vaughn’s against-type lead turn, and the film’s unapologetically brutal evocation of grindhouse exploitation.
- Which films are like Brawl in Cell Block 99?
- Films with a similar feel include Avengement, Dragged Across Concrete, Shot Caller, and Bone Tomahawk.
- How long is Brawl in Cell Block 99?
- Brawl in Cell Block 99 runs 132 minutes.
- Where can I watch Brawl in Cell Block 99?
- In United States, Brawl in Cell Block 99 streams on Philo.
