Protein drops you straight into the damp chill of a forgotten Welsh town, a place where the sky is as grey as the mood. Here we meet Sion, an ex-soldier whose hulking presence says more than he ever does. Haunted by his past, his life is now a simple loop of survival and intense gym sessions.
The film doesn’t waste time with a slow burn. When Sion sees the gym’s kind owner being abused by a local thug, he responds with shocking force. His brand of justice, however, is fueled by something far stranger than revenge.
He has a very specific dietary need to maintain his physique, a requirement that puts human flesh on the menu. This single, brutal act, born of a grotesque logic, is misunderstood by the town’s criminals as a declaration of war, setting a match to a very damp powder keg.
Bumbling Gangsters, Weary Cops
The film splits its attention between two clashing narratives, creating a fascinating rhythm. On one side, you have the local gangsters. Forget slick masterminds; this is a crew of incompetent, paranoid dealers whose bickering provides a current of bleak humor.
Their reaction to Sion’s initial attack is a spiral of panic and finger-pointing that feels painfully, comically real. It’s a setup reminiscent of Shane Meadows’ work in Dead Man’s Shoes, finding humanity and absurdity in the grimy corners of Britain. On the other side is the police investigation, which acts as the story’s anchor.
We follow Stanton, a tired local detective who has seen it all, and Patch, a sharp officer from London convinced she’s hunting a serial killer. Their opposing methods create a classic friction, but their shared frustration with the local lowlifes grounds the film’s more extreme elements. Their procedural storyline gives the audience a stable thread to follow as the chaos mounts.
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The Monster in the Margins
For a character who causes so much destruction, Sion spends a surprising amount of time off-screen. This is a deliberate choice that makes his presence felt even when he is absent. When he does appear, actor Craig Russell portrays him with a chilling stillness.
He’s not a cackling villain but a quiet, almost invisible man, which makes his bursts of violence all the more jarring. The film puts you in a difficult position. Sion targets criminals, positioning himself as a vigilante, but his methods are monstrous. Are you supposed to root for the man who punishes abusers, even if he eats them afterward?
This moral ambiguity is the heart of the picture, pushing it beyond a simple revenge story. He is less a character and more a catalyst, a force of nature that disrupts a corrupt ecosystem, much like the detached subject of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.
The Beauty of Brutalism
The film’s power comes from its raw, unpolished execution. Director Tony Burke grounds the story in a stark reality, making the cannibalistic horror feel unnervingly plausible.
Choosing to set the action in rural Wales, far from the typical London setting of British crime films, gives the story a distinct and authentic texture. The script is lean and peppered with authentic, sharp dialogue that rings true.
Burke’s direction handles the violence with a thoughtful, almost documentary-like distance. The camera doesn’t linger for sadistic effect; it observes the bloody carnage matter-of-factly, which somehow makes it more disturbing. This is a scrappy, low-budget film with a clear vision, successfully mixing grim crime with savage horror and a deeply dark sense of humor.
Protein is a gritty Welsh thriller that launched in UK cinemas on June 13, 2025, after its premiere at FrightFest 2024, and hits digital platforms on July 14, 2025.
Full Credits
Director: Tony Burke
Writers: Tony Burke, Mike Oughton
Producers: Craig Russell, Tom Gripper, Dan Bailey
Executive Producer: Tony Burke
Cast: Craig Russell, Kezia Burrows, Charles Dale, Richard Mylan, Kai Owen, Steven Meo
Director of Photography (Cinematographer): Andy Toovey
Editors: James McLean
Composer: David Burke
The Review
Protein
Protein is a raw and gutsy piece of British indie filmmaking. It successfully serves up a grim crime story seasoned with sharp, dark humour and a genuinely unsettling moral core. While its central figure is often in the shadows, the film's strong sense of place, witty script, and committed performances make it a savage and memorable watch for those with a stomach for bleak, character-driven horror.
PROS
- Witty, authentic script with sharp black humour.
- Unsettling and morally complex central character.
- Strong, grounded performances from the ensemble cast.
- Effective use of its gritty, rural Welsh setting.
CONS
- The protagonist is off-screen for significant portions.
- A relentlessly bleak tone that may not suit all tastes.
- Its low-budget, scrappy nature can be apparent.
