7 Upcoming Films Destined For Controversy

S. Craig Zahler has become something of a genre filmmaking mainstay with his previous films, Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99, receiving critical acclaim for their rich settings and uncompromisingly extreme violence. Brawl in Cell Block 99 has even been said to be one of the most pro-conservative action films to be released in recent years. Whether or not one reads the film that way is neither here nor there, Zahler's latest film, Dragged Across Concrete, certainly sounds less ambiguous.

Dragged Across Concrete follows two cops who descend into a criminal underworld as a video of their brutal methods goes viral and subjects them to stern criticism from the media. The film will see Vince Vaughn returning to work with Zahler after his acclaimed turn in Brawl in Cell Block 99, as well as Mel Gibson joining the fray. Gibson's casting alone could spell controversy as he has a history of making offensive, abusive, and racist remarks.

That is to say nothing of the storyline. Police brutality is a very sensitive subject nowadays; it seems new stories come to light involving police officers abusing their power all the time nowadays. A subject such as this requires a deft directorial touch and a genre spin on such subject matter could definitely yield strong backlash, especially with someone like Mel Gibson in tow. Zahler's track record promises the film will be full of strong Grindhouse thrills, but this could be the film that brings him into the mainstream for the wrong reasons.