Released: March 2019
Director: S. Craig Zahler
Rated R
Run Time: 159 Minutes
Distributor: Lionsgate Studios/Summit Entertainment
Genre: Crime/Thriller/Drama
Cast:
Mel Gibson: Brett Ridgeman
Vince Vaughn: Anthony Lurasetti
Tory Kittles: Henry Johns
Michael Jai White: Biscuit
Thomas Kretschmann: Lorentz Vogelmann
Jennifer Carpenter: Kelly Summer
Laurie Holden: Melanie Ridgeman
Don Johnson: Chief Lt. Calvert
A few years back, a tiny indie film showed up on my radar: Bone Tomahawk. It was written and directed by an unknown director/writer, S. Craig Zahler. The reason I payed attention to the film was because of the cast: Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, and Richard Jenkins. Kurt Russell was form-fitted to the Western, as he had proven with Tombstone. So, I thought Bone Tomahawk was going to be another low-budget indie Western. In many ways, it was a typical Western, but towards the end of the film, it took a huge left turn into the horror genre. The shift didn’t really feel out of place for the story. Bone Tomahawk was one of the biggest surprises I had seen in years, and it stuck with me. Zahler’s second effort, Brawl in Cell Block 99 took the grind-house root and set it in a dark and gloomy prison starring the most unlikely of actors, Vince Vaughn. Again, Zahler managed to impress me even more as a film-maker. So, when compared with his first two major efforts, how does Dragged Across Concrete stack up?
In the fictional city of Bulwark, veteran street cop Brett Ridgeman and his partner, Anthony Lurasetti are staking out an apartment building where a known drug trafficker lives. The arrest of the drug dealer was apparently far more brutal than it needed to be, because the next day, their boss calls them in and suspends them for 6 weeks without pay. For Brett, this is hard to deal with, because he doesn’t make enough money on the job to be able to support his family, and this suspension is putting him in a very tough place. See, he and his family live in a questionable part of town where Brett’s daughter gets bullied every time she goes to school. In order to better provide for them, Brett and his partner dive into the criminal underworld to rob criminals who are targeting a particular bank. S. Craig Zahler’s background is in writing and it really shows in his films. He was a novelist before making movies, but bringing that experience to a visual medium is actually a really interesting thing to see. The story in Dragged Across Concrete feels like it comes from a crime novel. It’s a good story with some real weight behind it. The way the whole thing plays out is very different than your average crime thriller. It goes to some very dark and bleak territory, and Zahler is not afraid to show the audience what happens when it does. I will warn you now, this is a very grim tale, but it’s all the better for it. Now, some people may scoff at the run time of 159 minutes, but it doesn’t feel that long to me. It’s definitely a slow-burner of a film, but there’s a reason for that. Zahler’s approach to films like this has always been very deliberate. It allows the audience to ride with the characters and see what they see. It also kind of sets them up in a way that when the violence does happen, it’s quick, brutal and shocking.
As an actor, Mel Gibson is unlike any other. He’s got equal doses of charisma and talent, and while he plays it more low-key here, it’s still Mel, and he’s still incredible to watch. He plays Brett Ridgeman, a veteran cop that’s become more racist and intolerant over the years. Some people might see this as some kind of parallel for his actual life, but I really don’t think so. Mel’s got demons for sure, and they unfortunately got out some years back that cost Gibson a lot of credibility in Hollywood. That being said, his ability to deliver a convincing performance hasn’t diminished one bit. In fact, I think he’s actually gotten better over the years. He’s definitely come a long way since Mad Max and I still think he’s a fantastic actor. Vince Vaughn has become an actor to really watch over the past few years. I’ve never been a fan of Vaughn’s comedic offerings. It’s not my brand of humor. However, his more dramatic roles have shown that Vince has an incredible range. Look at films like Hacksaw Ridge, Brawl in Cell Block 99, and even way back in 1997 with The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I loved his performance in that film because he wasn’t deliberately trying to be funny. He plays Anthony Lurasetti in Dragged Across Concrete. He definitely brings a unique side to the character that is also a little racist, but also knows when something isn’t particularly right. He balances that moral scale with a skill that you generally don’t see from a lot of actors these days. You also have awesome performances from Don Johnson, Michael Jai White, Laurie Holden and Jennifer Carpenter. The one guy you should really pay attention to is Tory Kittles as Henry Johns, recently released from prison and back into the criminal underworld. Tory is fantastic.
Dragged Across Concrete is not an action movie. Far from it. It’s a crime drama, in point of fact. The fact that it takes so long to get to the violence, makes said violence all the more potent. There is no CGI here, it’s all done in camera with actual prosthetics and special effects. Let me tell you, when the violence hits, it hits hard. This is a pretty mean movie in terms of its violence and the people that it’s inflicted upon. This film is surprisingly less violent than Zahler’s previous work, but it definitely doesn’t skimp on the blood and gore. What also sells this film is how it looks. The cinematography is incredible. There are a ton of shots where the camera just doesn’t move and focuses on a very small number of characters. There’s this one scene where Brett and Anthony are staking out a robber who is about to make his move. This scene is interesting because of how the camera focuses on the two leads. You see Anthony eating a sandwich and you can also hear it. It’s often the little details that can make a lot of difference. That scene is amusing and uncomfortable at the same time.
If there’s really an issue that I have with the film is that some of the characters here exist only as victims that need to be saved, especially the women. While I’m sure that Zahler knew what he was doing when he wrote these characters, I just can’t escape the feeling that some of these characters and actors got shortchanged. Also, a lot of these characters aren’t necessarily likable, but again, Zahler was trying to create a world that really pulled no punches and that unexpected things could happen, and they do. Dragged Across Concrete is not a film that’s going to be for everyone. That much is clear. It’s long and there is definitely a degree of mean-spiritedness that could be very off-putting to certain audiences, but I think that Zahler is completely aware of that. Dragged Across Concrete is not a conventional crime thriller and Zahler is not a conventional film-maker. Because of that, I really enjoy his work. Is the film as brutal as other critics have said? It can be. I mean, by the end of the film, you’re probably going to feel like you’ve been dragged across concrete. It doesn’t hold back and it shouldn’t. I can’t recommend this film for everyone, but for those that are willing to tolerate a long run time and some pretty dark and gritty material, there’s a lot to like here.
My Final Recommendation: 9/10.