15 Best Action Movies Of The Last 10 Years

This grizzly prison drama by viscera aficionado S. Craig Zahler is a throwback to grindhouse cinema and the stoic violence of the likes of Charles Bronson, featuring an uncharacteristic and brilliant taciturn performance by Vince Vaughn.

Vaughn stars as Bradley Thomas, an ex-boxer whose financial woes lead him back to the life of crime he left behind. Thomas is capable of great violence but is in essence a decent sort, wanting only to protect his wife and unborn child. Incarcerated early on, he is coerced by his former employer to carry out an assassination, or his wife will come to harm.

The film descends into utter madness from there, its plot predictable but in a good way, unfolding like fate. The fight scenes are bone crunchingly realised, becoming ever more gruesome as Thomas’ rage grows.

It’s tough to tell just how seriously this film takes itself - the title and gleeful bloodletting suggest not very, but the brooding quality of Vaughn’s performance and substantial runtime indicate otherwise. There are elements which don’t stand up to close scrutiny, but as a retro gorefest, it stands out among modern cinema.