Rambo: Last Blood - 2/5

The first three quarters of this movie is a ‘mourning the state of the world’ drama and only the last 25 minutes is the brutal action we’ve come to expect from this franchise. It’s disturbing and uncomfortable to watch, and even though it has good intentions the final act doesn’t make up for the rest of the movie. I only recommend this to fans of the series who need to know how it ends.

Content warning: human trafficking, intense grit, brutal violence

Closest comparison: It’s like Wind River by way of Man on Fire (2004).

Setting: Modern Western
Plot: Kidnap
Tone: Revenge

Brawl in Cell Block 99 - 4/5

This is one of those movies that is really good and I can’t recommend it. It’s too brutal, too heavy, and too real for most people to enjoy, but it’s so viscerally poignant that if you can stomach the content you owe it to yourself to watch. It’s another ‘crying for the state of the world’-type films, not the action-style prison break movies that make up the rest of this sub-genre, and it’s executed in a somber brutal realism that shows the deep respect the filmmakers have for the subject matter.

Content warning: abortion, brutal violence

Closest comparison: It’s like Wind River, but for abortion instead of sexual assault.

Setting: Crime / Prison
Plot: Hard Times / Action
Tone: Slow Burn / Brutal