Dragged Across Concrete
In the murky depths of neo-noir cinema, "Dragged Across Concrete" emerges as a unflinching crime thriller that dares to challenge its audience. Directed by the polarizing S. Craig Zahler, this film plunges into a world where desperation blurs the lines between law and lawlessness, forcing viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about justice and survival. Prepare for a slow-burn narrative that grips you tight and refuses to let go, revealing the dark underbelly of human nature. S. Craig Zahler's deliberate, unhurried pacing forces viewers to immerse themselves in a bleak world where moral compromises are the norm. The film provocatively explores themes of police brutality and societal decay, choosing to examine these issues rather than offer easy answers. Despite its polarizing nature and intense violence, the film garnered significant critical praise for its performances and distinctive storytelling.
AI Summary
In the murky depths of neo-noir cinema, "Dragged Across Concrete" emerges as a unflinching crime thriller that dares to challenge its audience. Directed by the polarizing S. Craig Zahler, this film plunges into a world where desperation blurs the lines between law and lawlessness, forcing viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about justice and survival. Prepare for a slow-burn narrative that grips you tight and refuses to let go, revealing the dark underbelly of human nature.
- S. Craig Zahler's deliberate, unhurried pacing forces viewers to immerse themselves in a bleak world where moral compromises are the norm.
- The film provocatively explores themes of police brutality and societal decay, choosing to examine these issues rather than offer easy answers.
- Despite its polarizing nature and intense violence, the film garnered significant critical praise for its performances and distinctive storytelling.
Dragged Across Concrete: A Story of Desperation
Imagine a world where the system has failed, and desperation pushes individuals to extreme measures—that's the unsettling core of S. Craig Zahler's 2018 neo-noir crime thriller, "Dragged Across Concrete." This film is not a quick ride; it's a slow, deliberate descent into a morally ambiguous landscape, painted with Zahler's signature grit and uncompromising vision.
The film brings together a powerful ensemble cast, led by veterans Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn. They are joined by talents like Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Jennifer Carpenter, and Don Johnson, each contributing to a rich tapestry of characters trapped in dire circumstances.
The story centers on two suspended police detectives, Brett Ridgeman and Anthony Lurasetti, whose careers are derailed by an incident of police brutality. Financially ruined and desperate, their path soon intertwines with two childhood friends, Henry Johns and Biscuit, as they all find themselves unwittingly drawn into a high-stakes, violent robbery orchestrated by a cunning professional thief.
Crafting the Vision
S. Craig Zahler, known for his unique cinematic style, began developing "Dragged Across Concrete" immediately after his previous film, "Brawl in Cell Block 99." He penned a sprawling 162-page screenplay, a rarity in Hollywood, and drew inspiration from classic crime thrillers like Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing" and Sidney Lumet's "Dog Day Afternoon."
Zahler's approach is unflinchingly honest about his artistic intent. He states that his films aim not to address societal ills or provoke, but to explore the nuances and complexities of difficult situations, leaving audiences to grapple with the uncomfortable realities presented on screen. For him, it's about staying true to his vision, even if it alienates some viewers.
One distinctive element of Zahler's filmmaking is the inclusion of 'slice-of-life' scenes that don't directly advance the plot. These moments—like a character savoring a sandwich or discussing childhood memories—are crucial. They allow the audience to intimately connect with the characters, understanding their humanity before they are thrust into brutal, life-altering situations, making the ensuing violence even more impactful.
The film was produced by Keith Kjarval, Zahler, and Dallas Sonnier, with Unified Film Fund providing the financing. It sought distributors at major film markets, with Lionsgate Films eventually acquiring the U.S. distribution rights through its subsidiary, Summit Entertainment.
Casting the Roles
The casting process saw Vince Vaughn, who previously collaborated with Zahler, recommending the script to Mel Gibson. Gibson, having worked with Vaughn on "Hacksaw Ridge," was intrigued and agreed to star. This reunion created a formidable on-screen pairing that became central to the film's gritty narrative.
Beyond the leads, Zahler brought back several actors from his previous projects, including Jennifer Carpenter and Don Johnson. Despite concerns about the political affiliations of Gibson and Vaughn potentially affecting financing, Zahler firmly believed they were the perfect fit for their roles, and the studio ultimately supported his choices, praising Gibson's dedication to the part.
Behind the Camera
Principal photography took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, from July to September 2017, with a production budget of $15 million. Zahler insisted on a high degree of realism, opting for practical effects—like an actual car collision—over CGI to achieve a visceral, believable authenticity for the audience.
A World of Desperation
The story begins with Henry Johns, a recent parolee, in the fictional city of Bulwark. He returns home to find his mother fallen back into prostitution and drugs, while his younger brother Ethan is disabled, setting a bleak tone for his life's trajectory and fueling his desperate need for money.
Meanwhile, veteran detectives Brett Ridgeman and Anthony Lurasetti face a harsh reality. A leaked video of their rough handling of a drug dealer leads to their suspension without pay. Ridgeman, needing to move his family to a safer neighborhood, and Lurasetti, hesitant to propose to his girlfriend without financial stability, are both cornered by their circumstances.
A tip from a shady businessman named Friedrich offers a way out—or further in. Ridgeman proposes they surveil and rob Lorentz Vogelmann, a notorious professional thief. Lurasetti, initially reluctant, is ultimately swayed by their dire financial predicament, agreeing to join this illicit venture.
Concurrently, Vogelmann is busy with his own plans, committing a string of violent robberies to fund a customized bulletproof van. He recruits Henry and his childhood friend Biscuit as getaway drivers for a major bank heist—an act that will inevitably intertwine their lives with the desperate detectives.
The bank robbery itself is a brutal, chaotic affair. Vogelmann and his crew, Grey Gloves and Black Gloves, take hostages. When a bank employee, Kelly Summer, attempts to alert the authorities, she is summarily executed. The bank manager is also cruelly mutilated, showcasing the thieves' extreme cruelty and setting the stage for a grim confrontation.
As the thieves escape with bullion and a hostage, Cheryl, Henry notices Ridgeman and Lurasetti tailing them. Uneasy with Vogelmann's savage methods, Henry hides this crucial detail from both Biscuit and the thieves. Lurasetti, horrified by the atrocities, chastises Ridgeman for not intervening, but Ridgeman insists only they can stop these criminals, without waiting for official — and likely too slow — channels.
Arriving at a remote garage, the situation spirals into deadly chaos. Biscuit, seeing an opportunity, leaps from the van only to be shot. Henry, with a hidden gun, wounds Grey Gloves. Mortally wounded, Biscuit swallows the van's key, imploring Henry to care for his mother, before being executed by the thieves.
As Cheryl is forced to retrieve the key from Biscuit's stomach, Ridgeman and Lurasetti arrive, ramming the van. In the ensuing shootout, Cheryl is coerced into shooting Lurasetti, only to be killed by Ridgeman. Ridgeman then quickly dispatches Black Gloves, but not before Lurasetti succumbs to his wounds, listening to a heartbreaking voicemail from his girlfriend declining his marriage proposal.
Ridgeman fills the van with tear gas, killing Grey Gloves even as he attempts to surrender. Before he can torch the vehicle, Henry fires a warning shot, insisting the valuable contents be spared. Ridgeman then eliminates Vogelmann, but Henry wounds Ridgeman and reveals he's recorded the entire incident.
Disarming Henry, Ridgeman proposes they split the score. They load the bodies and the gold, disposing of Lurasetti's car. Ridgeman then attempts to force Henry to delete the recording, leading to a final, deadly exchange of gunfire. Henry, mortally wounding Ridgeman, agrees to bury the detectives and care for Ridgeman's family, ultimately burying all the victims.
Eleven months later, Henry lives in lavish comfort with his mother and brother. True to his grim promise, he sends a substantial share of the gold bullion to Ridgeman's unsuspecting family, closing a chapter steeped in blood and desperate ambition.
The Evocative Soundtrack
The film's atmospheric score was a collaboration between Zahler himself and his friend Jeff Herriott, a duo who also worked on his previous films. Drawing influence from jazz legends like Charles Mingus and John Coltrane, they crafted several soulful pieces, even recruiting the legendary R&B group The O'Jays to perform some of the songs.
Lakeshore Records released the soundtrack in March 2019, coinciding with the film's release. Critics noted the music's unique quality; Pat Padua of The Washington Post described the pieces as "slightly jarring," yet acknowledged their contribution to the film's distinctive, unsettling sense of reality.
Release and Reception
"Dragged Across Concrete" premiered at the prestigious 75th Venice International Film Festival in September 2018. It later received a limited theatrical and video-on-demand simultaneous release in the United States in March 2019, allowing a wider audience to experience its intense narrative.
Critical Reception
The film received a mixed to positive critical response. While many praised Mel Gibson's performance, the film's dark world-building, and its provocative themes, it also faced criticism for its extensive runtime and moments of graphic violence, particularly its handling of racism and police brutality, which generated polarized reactions.
Despite its controversial elements, many critics lauded Zahler's masterful direction and the strong performances. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian noted, "this is a long film, but there is something so horribly compelling about its unhurried slouch towards the precipice." David Fear of Rolling Stone highlighted Gibson's commanding presence, stating the film would send crime-film fanatics into "frothing fits of glee."
Accolades and Criticism
In a rather unusual turn, "Dragged Across Concrete" was nominated for a new category at the 40th Golden Raspberry Awards: "Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property." This nomination drew criticism from outlets like WhatCulture, which questioned its inclusion given the film's relatively low-budget and less explicit carnage compared to other nominees.
On a more positive note, the film received several nominations at the 45th Saturn Awards, recognizing its quality within the thriller genre.
Award Category Recipient(s) Result Saturn Awards Best Thriller Film Dragged Across Concrete Nominated Saturn Awards Best Actor Mel Gibson Nominated Saturn Awards Best Make-up Lisa Love, Tate Steinsiek Nominated Saturn Awards Best Writing S. Craig Zahler Nominated
Article
Dragged Across Concrete
Dragged Across Concrete is a 2018 neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by S. Craig Zahler. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn, Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Jennifer Carpenter, Laurie Holden, Fred Melamed, Thomas Kretschmann, and Don Johnson. The story follows two childhood friends and two police detectives suspended for police brutality who, in a desperate need for money, are embroiled in a robbery done by a professional thief.
Zahler started working on Dragged Across Concrete right after he finished development of his previous film Brawl in Cell Block 99, which also starred Vaughn, Carpenter and Johnson. Vaughn recommended Zahler to Gibson, whom he had previously worked with in Hacksaw Ridge, and Gibson agreed to star in the film, later followed by Kittles and White. Filming took place in Vancouver between July and September 2017 under a production budget of $15 million.
It premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2018, and received a limited theatrical and video-on-demand simultaneous release from Summit Entertainment on March 22, 2019. It was met with a mixed to positive critical reception, with praise directed toward Gibson's performance as well as its dark setting and themes, although it was criticized for its runtime and excessive violence. The film received several nominations at the 45th Saturn Awards, but was also shortlisted for "Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property" at the 40th Golden Raspberry Awards.
Plot
Dragged Across Concrete
In the fictional city of Bulwark, recent parolee Henry Johns chastises his mother for returning to prostitution and taking drugs, before reuniting with his handicapped younger brother Ethan.
Three weeks later, police detectives Brett Ridgeman and Anthony Lurasetti are suspended without pay by the police department after a video surfaced revealing them committing police brutality on a drug dealer. Both detectives are desperate to look for money, with Ridgeman needing cash to move to a safer neighborhood for his family, while Lurasetti stalls in proposing to his girlfriend Denise. On a tip from Friedrich, a wealthy businessman with criminal connections, Ridgeman recruits Lurasetti to help him surveil and rob Lorentz Vogelmann, a heroin distributor.
Vogelmann commits a series of violent robberies to pay for a customized bulletproof van. Henry and his childhood friend Biscuit are then hired by Vogelmann as getaway drivers for a bank robbery in which Vogelmann and his crew - Grey Gloves and Black Gloves - take employees and customers as hostages. A bank employee, Kelly Summer, who came back to work from her maternity leave, is executed by the bank robbers after preventing a colleague from notifying the police via email. The thieves castrate the bank manager and then escape with the bullion and a hostage, Cheryl, while being tailed by Ridgeman and Lurasetti, which Henry notices. Unsettled by Vogelmann and his henchmen's brutality, Henry and Biscuit are then forced to surrender their weapons. Realizing they may be killed, Henry chooses not to reveal to Biscuit or the thieves that they are being followed by the detectives. Lurasetti learns of the atrocities committed by the thieves and berates Ridgeman for not intervening sooner or notifying the authorities, but Ridgeman asserts that law enforcement would be too late, and only the two of them can deal with the thieves. Lurasetti opts against delaying his marriage proposal to Denise and leaves her a voicemail guiding her to the engagement ring.
Arriving at a garage in the countryside, Biscuit leaps out of the van and is shot, as Henry wounds Grey Gloves with a hidden gun. Mortally wounded, Biscuit swallows the van's key, imploring Henry to take care of his mother, and is shot dead by the thieves. Cheryl is sent to pull Biscuit's body into the van and Black Gloves cuts the key out of Biscuit's stomach, as Ridgeman and Lurasetti arrive and ram the van, knocking it over. Cheryl is coerced by Vogelmann into faking an escape that lets her shoot Lurasetti, and she is executed by Ridgeman in turn. Ridgeman then quickly kills Black Gloves as he exits the van. Ridgeman hands the dying Lurasetti his phone and Lurasetti listens to a voicemail from Denise, declining his proposal, before he succumbs to his wounds.
Ridgeman fills the van with tear gas, and kills Grey Gloves just as he surrenders. Before Ridgeman can torch the van, Henry fires a warning shot and insists that the valuable contents of the van be spared. Ridgeman climbs on top of the van and kills Vogelmann before the latter can shoot him through the retractable slit. Henry shoots Ridgeman in the foot and reveals that he has recorded the entire incident on his cellphone and identifies Ridgeman as a detective. Disarming Henry, Ridgeman proposes they split the score, and together they load the bodies and the bullion in the getaway car. After towing Lurasetti's car to a dump site, Ridgeman reveals a hidden firearm and threatens Henry to make him delete the video. Henry and Ridgeman both shoot at each other, causing Henry to mortally wound Ridgeman. Henry agrees with the dying Ridgeman to bury Lurasetti and take care of Ridgeman's family, and later buries all the bodies, promising the deceased Biscuit that he will return and give a proper burial to his friend, as he does not want him buried next to the police.
Eleven months later, Henry lives in a luxury mansion with his mother and brother. He sends Ridgeman's family a package containing a share of the gold bullion.
Production
Development
On February 1, 2017, right after finishing production of his previous film Brawl in Cell Block 99, S. Craig Zahler signed to direct Dragged Across Concrete, a crime thriller based on police brutality, from a screenplay he had written. The script is 162 pages long and remained unchanged at the time of filming, and was Zahler's favorite screenplay to write. The story is influenced from the film The Killing directed by Stanley Kubrick and the films Dog Day Afternoon and Prince of the City directed by Sidney Lumet, Prince of the City being one of Zahler's favorite films.
Zahler states: "I’m aware there are lines and moments in my films and books and future movies that will land poorly for some people or get people to hate me. That is your right. I have a right to do my own vision and hope it’s enough to get me to the next one." In an interview with The Daily Beast, Zahler states that the intent of the film is not to address societal ills or invoke a provocation, but to explore "splitting hairs in terms of what the difference is" between the societal issues. Zahler exemplifies Brett Ridgeman, one of the characters in the film, is "an embittered guy, not really happy with his station in life, and with a heavy hand, and doing some stuff that he shouldn’t be doing, and he’s suspended" and trying to get himself out of the hole that he dug with all of these mistakes. Vince Vaughn, who plays Brett's partner Anthony Lurasetti, states that Dragged Across Concrete is "not an agenda movie" but a morality tale.
Dragged Across Concrete has slice of life scenes not related to the plot progression, such as Jennifer Carpenter's character Kelly Summer not wanting to leave her child for work, Vince Vaughn's character Anthony Lurasetti eating a sandwich in a car, and Tory Kittles' character Henry Johns talking to Michael Jai White's character "Biscuit" about their childhoods, and are some of Zahler's favorite scenes in the film. Despite these scenes taking a lot of the running time in the film, Zahler believes that coupled with the atmosphere and the subsequent twists, the scenes result in the characters becoming more interesting than the plot.
Keith Kjarval of Unified Pictures produced the film along with Zahler and Dallas Sonnier of Cinestate, Assemble Media's Jack Heller, and Sefton Fincham of Look to the Sky Films, with Kjarval's Unified Film Fund financing. The project sought a distributor at the European Film Market at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2017. In May 2017, Lionsgate acquired the US distribution rights to the film, and would release it through its subsidiary, Summit Entertainment.
Casting
Vince Vaughn starred in S. Craig Zahler's previous film Brawl in Cell Block 99 as the lead character Bradley Thomas. Vaughn gave the script of Dragged Across Concrete to Mel Gibson, who worked with Vaughn in the 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge as the film director, asking him to star in the film and recommended him to watch Brawl in Cell Block 99. Zahler was able to contact Gibson through Vaughn and hoped that he would star in the film. On February 1, 2017, Gibson signed on to the film, with he and Vaughn starring as police officers that are suspended due to committing police brutality.
On August 2, 2017, Jennifer Carpenter and Don Johnson, who had worked with Zahler in Brawl in Cell Block 99, signed onto the film, followed by Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Tattiawna Jones, and Laurie Holden. Since Vaughn and Gibson are both well-known conservatives in Hollywood, The Daily Beast claimed this may hinder the financing of the film. However, Zahler believes they are the perfect match for their respective roles, and the studio was willing to fund the film's production after Vaughn and Gibson's casting. Zahler praised Gibson for his collaboration and acting in the film. Gibson previously played a police sergeant in the Lethal Weapon franchise but the films had no bearing on the script nor the casting changes of Dragged Across Concrete.
Filming
Vancouver, British Columbia, where filming took place
Principal photography on the film began in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 17, 2017 and wrapped on September 16, 2017. Zahler wanted Dragged Across Concrete to be seen as realistic by the audience, filming an actual car collision on set for one of the scenes rather than supplemented in the editing room. Shooting of the film was extremely challenging due to complex and dangerous stunts when filming a broken window, a car crash, or someone being shot. Dragged Across Concrete is less violent than Zahler's previous films Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99 due to the difference in weapons and fighting styles utilized by the characters.
Music
Dragged Across Concrete
The film's soundtrack was composed by S. Craig Zahler and his friend Jeff Herriott, having previously worked together in Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99. The duo wrote several soul pieces and recruiting the rhythm and blues group The O'Jays to sing the songs. Zahler was influenced by jazz musicians such as Charles Mingus and John Coltrane in creating the soundtrack.
Lakeshore Records released the soundtrack on March 22, 2019, in CD, digital, and vinyl formats, which coincided with the release date of the film. Pat Padua of The Washington Post called some of the music pieces "slightly jarring, but they contribute to a sense of reality that is at once familiar and unsettling."
Release
Dragged Across Concrete
In May 2017, Lionsgate Films acquired the US distribution rights to the film, and would release it through its subsidiary, Summit Entertainment. The film's world premiere was at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2018. Dragged Across Concrete was then given a theatrical and video on demand release in the United States on March 22, 2019.
Dragged Across Concrete was released on digital download, DVD and Blu-ray disc in the United States under Lionsgate Films on April 30, 2019, including two special features, a short featurette titled "Moral Conflict: Creating Cinema That Challenges" and a forty-minute 3-part featurette, "Elements of a Crime". Studio Canal released it in the UK on August 19, 2019, across all three formats.
Critical response
Dragged Across Concrete received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, with praise directed towards Gibson's performance, worldbuilding, and the dark themes and criticism directed towards the runtime and excessive violence. Reception was more polarized on the film's treatment of racism and police brutality.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Dragged Across Concrete holds an approval rating of 76% based on 153 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads, "As grim and grinding as its title, Dragged Across Concrete opts for slow-burning drama instead of high-speed thrills — and has just the right cast to make it work." On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 60 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Kevin Maher of The Times gave the film four out of five stars, writing: "in this new, bleak and often unexpectedly grand genre movie (it’s essentially a buddy cop flick, but with operatic ambitions), the thread out of place, both irritably scratching and strangely arresting, is Mel Gibson."
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian also rated Dragged Across Concrete four out of five stars, stating: "this is a long film, but there is something so horribly compelling about its unhurried slouch towards the precipice."
David Fear of Rolling Stone awarded the film a three and a half out of five stars, praising Gibson's performance and the world-building: "Dragged Across Concrete is apt to send crime-film fanatics, especially ones who prefer their pulp nasty, brutish and incredibly long, into frothing fits of glee."
Kieran Fisher of Film School Rejects praised the dialogue interactions between the detectives, Kittles' performance, and Zahler's intention to challenge the moral position of the audience, while acknowledging that the film will attract controversy: "Still, if you just want to see a great crime epic that cares more about telling a great story than promoting an agenda, you’ll want to check out Dragged Across Concrete. It’s going to be a contender for the best of 2019 when it’s all said and done, even if some viewers will feel guilty about enjoying it so much."
Armond White of National Review praised it as a conservative action film, writing that it "vividly conveys the feeling of suffering, bitterness, and struggle"; later rating it among the 20 best films of the decade.
Accolades
At the 40th Golden Raspberry Awards, Dragged Across Concrete was nominated in a new category, "Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property." WhatCulture criticized the nomination, saying that it "feels as though voters just wanted to nominate Joker for the enormous social media publicity it would generate, and then shaped a dubious awards category around it. Dragged Across Concrete is an even weirder pick, though, both because of its low-budget nature and the fact that there's not that much carnage in it. Michael Bay's 6 Underground is clearly a far worthier nominee than either of those films, given how much obvious human collateral damage is racked up amid the chaotic action sequences."
<table><thead><tr><th>Award</th><th>Category</th><th>Recipient(s)</th><th>Result</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Saturn Awards</td><td>Best Thriller Film</td><td>Dragged Across Concrete</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Actor</td><td>Mel Gibson</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Make-up</td><td>Lisa Love, Tate Steinsiek</td><td>Nominated</td></tr><tr><td>Best Writing</td><td>S. Craig Zahler</td><td>Nominated</td></tr></tbody></table>