Dragged Across Concrete Review: A Brutal Crime Drama

Director: S. Craig Zahler
Cast: Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Don Johnson, Laurie Holden, Michael Jai White, Thomas Kretschmann, Udo Kier, Fred Melamed. Tony Kittles, Myles Truitt, Justine Warrington, Trezzo Mahoro, Cardi Wong, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Primo Allon, Matthew Maccaull, Noel G
Rating: 18
Running time: 159 mins
Release date: 19/04/2019

Whatever your own personal opinion of Mel Gibson, given his off-screen problems in recent years, you cannot fault him for what he demonstrates both in front of and behind the camera, heightened with the huge success of his acclaimed war film HACKSAW RIDGE with Andrew Garfield.

It is clear that Gibson is well aware that the best moments of his acting career may well be behind him and, like Clint Eastwood, might be ready to focus on a purely directorial future, which wouldn’t be a bad thing in some ways, given that he does have a great eye and his talent in this department yielded a Best Director Oscar with the 1995 William Wallace biopic BRAVEHEART, which was criticised for inaccuracies and characterisation flaws.

That said, it is always worth seeing what he is going to do next and he might just have squeezed another worthwhile effort out with the crime drama DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE.

Gibson plays Brett Ridgeman, an ageing cop who, with partner Anthony Lurasetti (Vince Vaughn), has his fair share of domestic problems, with a wife, Melanie (Laurie Holden), suffering from Multiple Scierosis and a daughter, Sara (Jordyn Ashley Olson) attacked for the fifth time in a neighbourhood they are all keen to move from.

Lurasetti has also plans to opt for the quiet life when he proposes to his girlfriend, but a rather overbearing assault on a suspect (which is captured on video and streamed) leads to both Ridgeman and Lurasetti being suspended from the force for six weeks by superior Lt. Calvert (Don Johnson), who also coincidentally was Gibson’s partner in a previous life.

Ridgeman, desperate to look after his family, is tempted by a score from a local gang and Lurasetti, keen to impress his fiancee with the best ring, joins him as the two pursue the gang….

Reminiscent in tone of Mike Figgis’ INTERNAL AFFAIRS (1990) and Michael Mann’s classic HEAT (1995), DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE has enough on show during it’s 159 minute running time to hold the attention. Granted it does have a familiarity about it, but when it is done as effectively here, then there are few complaints.

Tonally, you do get a sense that Gibson has learned to embrace his demons in the character of Ridgeman, who makes no bones about his conduct and is morally dark in his desire to keep his family together. The character also brings back memories of PAYBACK (1999), adapted from the Donald E. Westlake / Richard Stark novel THE HUNTER, made in 1967 as POINT BLANK by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin.

If you watched BONE TOMAHAWK with Kurt Russell, you also know that director S. Craig Zahler is going to bring on the gore, which he does at one point later on in the film. The violence is uncompromising and on a par with the Mann film in terms of sudden brutality, but it is countered by some very dark humour and interaction between Gibson and Vaughn, portraying two disheartened individuals.

Cinematography by Benji Bakshi is clear and solid and adds to the dark tones of the film, coupled with a great music soundtrack which has a touch of Tarantino’s classic PULP FICTION about it.

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