Dragged Across Concrete

Fantastic, absolutely edge of the seat stuff,going to be one of the greats.

This is my first movie by S.Craig Zahler. What a masterpiece. It’s a dispassionate character study interspersed with bursts of brutal action, yet remains unrelenting in its slow deliberate pacing. I’m off to wotch some more of Zahler’s work.

Ugly, crude, morally repugnant, thoroughly enjoyable

In writer/director S. Craig Zahler's superb feature debut, the horror-western Bone Tomahawk (2015), a man is held upside-down, literally split down the middle with a machete, and his body pulled apart by his legs; another man has a hot metal flask pushed into a gaping wound in his stomach; and a group of pregnant women have their eyes gouged out and their four appendages removed (off-camera, thankfully). In his second film, the fatalistic but excellent prison drama Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017), a man has his face dragged along a concrete floor, until the skin quite literally rips away from his skull. In his third film, the epic crime drama Dragged Across Concrete, a man has his innards pulled apart and examined in an effort to find something he has swallowed. I guess the fact that he's already dead when it happens represents a degree of artistic maturation on the part of Zahler.

Okay, so I'm being flippant. The fact is that I loved both of Zahler's previous films, so much so that I sought out a few of his novels. And I loved them too. Apart from the technical proficiency with which his films are made, I admire how they represent a throwback to true Grindhouse, embodying the phrase, "they don't make 'em like that anymore". Synthesising several disparate genres, and featuring sudden and extreme violence, both Tomahawk and Brawl have an air of self-seriousness bordering on narcissism, and methodically paced narratives (they each run 132 minutes). In Dragged, the gore has been toned down considerably (although not the violence), the nihilistic worldview is even more apparent (the fictional milieu in which the film is set makes the Baltimore of The Wire look like Beverly Hills), the genre mashup is more complex, and the pace is even more languorous, with the film running a whopping 159 minutes. Not so much about the horrific things that can happen to you on the street (although it is certainly partly about that), Dragged is more concerned with the horrific things you have to do to survive, and how in such circumstances, you can rationalise and justify pretty much anything. And make no mistake; this is a morally repugnant piece of utter trash cinema, ugly and stoical in equal measure. However, it has also been made with extraordinary craft and a tacit disregard for prevailing taste. Sure, it's crude, exploitative, and demoralising, but it's also immensely enjoyable.

For my complete review, please visit: https://letterboxd.com/bertaut/film/dragged-across-concrete/

The atmosphere is dense, cruel, full of causes and consequences. The plot revolves around characters whose paths cross in different ways, each driven by their own actions. No decision is completely right or wrong, but they all lead to an irreversible fate. With a cold and gloomy approach, the film has a pessimistic tone and a long duration, marked by intense and controversial dialogues, expressed in a raw way, creating an uncomfortable immersion that enhances the impact of the narrative.

Ugly, crude, morally repugnant, thoroughly enjoyable

Not so much about the horrific things that can happen to you on the street (although it is certainly partly about that), Dragged is more concerned with the horrific things you have to do to survive, and how in such circumstances, you can rationalise and justify pretty much anything. And make no mistake; this is a morally repugnant piece of utter trash cinema, ugly and stoical in equal measure. However, it has also been made with extraordinary craft and a tacit disregard for prevailing taste. Sure, it's crude, exploitative, and demoralising, but it's also immensely enjoyable.

For my complete review, please visit: https://boxd.it/Hi0eb

The pairing of Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn was great. Loved the banter between the two of them. The friendship between Henry and Biscuit was terrific. The characters here were portrayed very realistically and naturally. The family dynamic was touching. The way that the different story lines converged was probably the best thing about this film.

A slow-burn that demands your attention. I feel pity for those who can't sit still and absorb this gem.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ - The combination of Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn and of course their quiet banter is what kept me watching!

10❤- Masterpiece 💯
9❤- Excellent
8❤ - Amazing 👌
7❤- Great 🌞
6❤ - Good 👍
5❤ - Average 🤕
4❤ - Bad but watchable :octagonal_sign:
3❤ - Bad 😭
2😡- Awful :face_vomiting:
1:face_with_symbols_over_mouth: - Bull Shit

Not as brutal as _Bone Tomahawk_ but less cliché than _Brawl in Cell Block 99_, _Dragged Across Concrete_ finds itself between the latest two œuvres by S Craig Zahler.

Modern 70s grindhouse action sprayed with a little of Tarantino's bloodline make _Dragged..._ an entertaining watch even if (unlike _Tomahawk_) it down shifts a few too many times once it really gets rolling.

A nice addition to the drive-in of your living room.