Dragged Across Concrete (2019)

Stars	User	Rating
10	BillyShears	90 _92nd
I will follow Zahler into any depraved pit of cinema filth he leads me to.
6	djross	65 _70th
This film is set up through its inserted talking points as a rejection (or at least a complication) of the politics of guilt (concerning US racial politics etc.), yet it in fact repeats the same sacrificial structure as BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99: in a dark universe, even well-meaning husbands and fathers do bad things, and the only way for them truly to redeem themselves is to leave a pot of gold while themselves withdrawing into nonexistence. Good black sons with crippled brothers can live. Guilt!
5	Moribunny	75 _84th
Zahler has developed the talent to be simultaneously over-the-top and grounded in reality, politically incorrect and woke all at once. He can get gratingly hyperbolic here and there, but most of the time his ironic sense of humor manages not to encroach on the gravity of the ruthless violence he depicts. "Dragged" is like Tarantino for grownups. Extremely gritty, directed with finesse (if very little subtlety) and supremely acted. The casting of Mel Gibson as a racist cop is inspired.
4	Mentaculus	84 _81st
While it's pretty acceptable for films to play systemic race, class, and gender concerns straight, they all forget what this film takes for granted: it's systemic. Understood. Normalized. As tired and cliche as the next inevitable cop beating video you can't do anything about. The fatalism and misanthropy creates this scene around the mid-way point that would be tasteless if it weren't so fucking daring. The last half is pure cinema, as imagined by one of those cops in the viral videos.
4	sproost	85 _93rd
This is a slow paced, but wild movie filled with super entertaining banter between Gibson and Vaughn and a second half that unfolds like a slow, ingenious game of violent chess. The decision to leave this movie unscored was a fantastic one and more directors should muster up the courage and conviction to do so.
4	Paxton	70 _63rd
Spoilers ahead. I'd like to discuss the role of Jennifer Carpenter, who is given an additional ten minutes of screen time only to add gravitas to her untimely (untimely? I didn't write the character) death. Look, Austin Powers murdered this with a deleted scene showing the henchmen's family getting a call to let them know that henchman daddy was killed at work. This scene was not deemed good enough to make the cut in a comedy. During a long runtime like this I find it wholly unacceptable.
4	JSchlansky	98 _98th
The entire third act is near-unbearably tense. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack, cry, fist pump, throw-up, and shout "fuck yeah" all at the same time. Video Essay: https://youtu.be/gff9oqQm5rg
3	schnofel	85 _95th
Some unnecessary digs at "snowflakes" notwithstanding, this supposed right-wing film features the most searing account of a capitalist wasteland imaginable: everybody is prey to money, for reasons good, bad, or vile. Zahler has become a bedrock force of eerie fatalism. His wonderful, darkly humorous dialogue echoes empty in a hall of quiet brutality. So the title is apt, as would be James McMurtry's song "We Can't Make It Here".
3	Quintonjamin	80 _80th
Though it was slow, the extreme length allowed for me to get to know the characters on top of seeing some extremely gory action. In hindsight, there was a lot of the film that could have been cut out without changing the story, but all of that felt so right while watching it.
2	iconogassed	65 _45th
Grand Theft Auto: Mametville
2	Vandelay1	72 _80th
good movie
2	moraesfelipe	80 _85th
So mellow, cruel and mundane slow-burner about late capitalist rules falling apart and actually serving those who dear to thrive through hell in order to change their lives. So many great stuff here: best stakeouts ever, funny and subtle comedy bits in car rides, such a pulpy and yet humane ending. And also the brilliant score and soundtrack.
2	WWallce4prez	77 _63rd
Zahler's brand of violence and brutality should be taken with caution. I have a feeling that I would not get along with the director, but he does make daring films that scratch a certain itch. This paced crime-drama isn't all gold, as I cannot fathom why he needed to paint his villains with such a menacing, broad brush. Jennifer Carpenter is done dirty in this film and it feels sadistic as the audience already knew that these guys were bad. Still, this is a pretty unforgettable film.
2	deaddilly	80 _72nd
Zahler's most dynamic work yet. I'm continually impressed with how dangerous he makes his villains feel. I was tense for about the last full hour of this thing. *Some bad dialogue to get through to start, and you can skip the epilogue entirely.
2	glumpy_99	98 _95th
Outstanding crime drama hits essentially the same story beats you would find in any typical brawny actioner, but Zahler's fascinatingly languid storytelling style, carefully establishing character and motivation for the first two acts, before tightening to one of the most suspenseful, hard edged (and exciting) third acts in recent memory, is marvellous, with a haunting, near career-best performance from Gibson the bedrock. Terrific framing and recurring use of two-shots used to great effect.
2	natebarrios	70 _56th
all i wanted was for Zahler to fix his exposure settings and white balance from BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 - he did
2	feublo	85 _74th
Zahler's style is a growing favourite for me. Violently instrumental and I love the deprived feeling from any unordinary dialogue. So worth it.
1	KasperL	55 _39th
A solid Gibson performance. I kind of liked the repartees between the leads in their first couple of scenes together, so I thought that the movie would hit a sweet spot for me, but I actually rather quickly grew frustrated with Zahler's very peculiarly written lines.
1	sellis	76 _49th
I enjoy the admittedly bloated pace of Zahler’s aesthetic, despite the over-written dialogue and other indulgences. Requires the theater setting (rewatching BiCB99 via streaming was near impossible) for it to be consumable as a whole. Vaughn is still improving as an actor and most the characters are relatively flat. But there’s a JP Melville quality that I can enjoy. Combined with pulpy exploitation and ultra violence - a unique vision. Maybe my fav Gibson performance.
1	Stewball	90 _93rd
They did everything to keep people away, long run-time, title from hell, cast a lightning rod like Mel Gibson. But it's a complex guy-flick that has a lot of clever low key humor running through it, a killer cast--including Gibson, and Vaughn who finally set his bar a little higher, and a unique story line, of which you're never really sure where it's going. It come off as a tragedy but it isn't what I'd call a downer. Politics somewhat right of center. Fictitious town of Bulwark in Vancouver BC
1	walkearth	65 _72nd
In hindsight I loved this. Admittedly very long, but the length is not felt at all. The off-key feel of the film, its collected quirkiness, the tension, the memorable characters and artistic shots create a feeling of excitement of what's to follow in every scene. The film is unpredictable, it is not afriad to challenge some of the established norms and traditions - both in Hollywood and in general culture - and Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn and the whole support cast deliver. /c Cineworld Wandsworth
1	fenixdown	39 _6th
Waste of time.
1	AAAutin	68 _82nd
(WRAPPED IN PLASTIC)
1	braddad68	90 _52nd
Love this director's style. This one has less gory violence, which was just fine with me. Gibson and Vaughn were great.
1	hotsake	70 _74th
A pretty good crime drama that started really weak but got better as it went on.
1	kito1	80 _89th
I liked this a lot, and I wanted to like it even more. A rare combination of silence, anticipation and thrills.

Average Percentile 60.55% from 519 Ratings