[Seanny One Ball]

Dragged Across Concrete - 3.5/4

From the creator, writer and director of "Bone Tomahawk" and "Brawl In Cell Block 99" comes a third big budget exploitation film that does exactly what it says on the tin. After a horror styled western and a deathmatch themed prison revenge film S Craig Zahler treats his audience to a dirty cop heist thriller. Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn are two violent cops on the road towards becoming dirty with a one off heist they need to recoup cash from an unpaid suspension after they are caught abusing a suspect in public. Tory Kittles and Michael Jai White play two for-hire wheel men for a bank robbery and getaway by some shady looking dudes in night vision and assault gear, Tory Kittles motivations for the robbery are also laid out in a side plot.
There are side plots down every possible route it seems(one of which involves a bank employee's day before the heist, another which involves Mel Gibson's daughter, another for Vince Vaughn's girlfriend) and it is a long, slow film that culminates in brief bursts of spectacular violence, something which is becoming one of his trademarks.
This film is just as thoughtful and funny as his others using the same extreme bloodshed and gore to bring you back to the reality of what's actually happening. Though the placement of the violence in this film is more effective arguably than the gore filled previous two, Cell Block 99 in particular.
I enjoyed everything about this besides the pacing and I know it's a whole part of the process with these films he's creating, the theme and the atmosphere are completely intertwined and after a long haul you get a sizeable reward.
I just think there are noticeably more moments in this film where almost nothing is actually happening that perhaps weren't entirely necessary for a movie made in a post drive-thu era. I need a little more movement in a film with a 150+ minute runtime.
There are a fair few scenes of Mel and Vince just in the car together though the dialogue in this film is on par with Bone Tomahawk, as is the body count.

This is a third exceptionally exntertaining film by the man Zahler. Each time he convinces yet another superstar to come aboard.
I hope he carries on with these self written projects though, you don't want to fuck around with a style that specific because he obviously has near total control over the films he is making right now. You can see that from his use of at-times ludicrously cheap looking special effects. This film is lacking in that as far as I noticed, I think there was one moment with a hand but I can't say for sure. I thought everything looked pretty damned realistic to be honest. I was encouraged by how well played the ending was and it's absolutely a worthwhile film, especially if you like Tarantino, Carpenter and Cronenberg. I think he's a lot like those particular film makers in terms of style. His stories are typically more authentic exploitation though, He's not just paying homage. he actually is an exploitation film maker.


I wonder what he's making next.