Program Note
Bradley is a former boxer who loses his job as a mechanic, with his troubled marriage about to end. At the crossroads of his life, he starts to work for an old buddy as a drug mule. All’s well until he finds himself in a gunfight between police officers and his own ruthless allies. Bradley is badly hurt and thrown in prison and, with enemies holding his pregnant wife as hostage, he is forced to commit acts of violence leading him to the maximum security. Brawl in Cell Block 99 is a truly original revenge thriller, with a deadpan rom-com star Vince Vaughn (of The Wedding Crashers) taking up a role that puts his career on a different trajectory. The film is never predictable keeping viewers on the edge of seats. And, despite its gruesome violence, the film has a strong theme of honorable intention; Bradley is a loving husband and a hopeful father who knows what the end is like and is willing to take the plunge. (Jongsuk Thomas NAM)