10 Unexpectedly Awesome 2017 Movies Everyone Thought Would Suck
6. Brawl In Cell Block 99
Why It Should've Sucked: With Vince Vaughn being primarily a comedy actor and his recent foray into Serious Acting with True Detective proving rather divisive, it was hard to be particularly optimistic about him pulling off the role of a tough-as-nails prisoner in S. Craig Zahler's new thriller.
Though Zahler's previous film, Bone Tomahawk, became a cult hit for its savage violence and slow pace, it was hard to see his deliberate, ultra-violent style meshing well with Vaughn's acting sensibilities.
Why It Was Awesome: Well, what a pleasant surprise this was. Vaughn delivers probably the best performance of his career and is thoroughly convincing as a hulking brute of a man, no doubt aided by Zahler's darkly comic writing and ferociously brutal direction.
While the film's willfully trashy narrative will prevent it from winning many year-end awards, it's nevertheless a terrific example of ordinary material executed in a totally extraordinary way.