Dragged Across Concrete - 4/5

This movie is not quite as brutal as S. Craig Zahler’s other films, but only because it’s an extremely high bar. There is more of a sense in this one of an unpredictable plot that takes many riveting twists and turns before reaching its surprising conclusion. It’s a taut thriller with palpable characters that pull on the audience’s heart strings and make for a tense, melancholy climax.

Content warning: female nudity, gore

Closest comparison: It’s like The Town by way of Brawl in Cell Block 99

Setting: Buddy Cop
Plot: Buddy Cop
Tone: Crime Thriller

Blade II (2002) - 3/5

This movie has all the great action and practical effects that are the hallmarks of director Guillermo del Toro, but it falls short in other places. Firstly, it immediately retcons a major plot point from the first movie, backtracks some substantial character growth in the main character. Secondly, the script plays a little loose with the stakes, utilizing physics-defying gadgets and out-of-nowhere character switches for pivotal plot points. Thirdly, the film severely underutilizes Donnie Yen giving him not even a single good martial arts scene, which is in itself a crime. But for all of that the movie is absolutely dripping with cool visual style and so viscerally engaging that it holds up admirably under its own weight.

Content warning: bloody

Closest comparison: It’s like Blade (1998) by way of Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Setting: Post-Noir Goth
Plot: Super Hero
Tone: Action Horror