Gym Freak Turns Killer in Bloody Welsh Horror ‘Protein’

A grisly blend of dark comedy, urban decay and escalating gang violence is headed to cinemas this June with Protein, the debut feature from writer-director Tony Burke. The film, which had its world premiere at FrightFest 2024 to strong reviews and a sold-out crowd, will open in select UK cinemas on 13 June via Bulldog Film Distribution, followed by a digital release on 14 July.

Expanding on Burke’s 2014 short of the same name, Protein follows a traumatised former soldier named Sion, played by Craig Russell, who returns to his hometown in South Wales in search of peace and routine. What he finds instead is a destructive obsession with bodybuilding and a chilling compulsion to consume human flesh for its protein content. When he murders and eats a local drug dealer, it sets off a violent chain reaction that spirals far beyond his control, pitting rival criminal factions against one another in a rapidly escalating turf war.

Shot on location in Wales and steeped in regional detail, Protein combines pitch-black humour with bleak social commentary, using its genre trappings to explore themes of trauma, addiction and marginalisation. Burke, who co-wrote the script with Mike Oughton, said the idea stemmed from “a fascination with transformation – both physical and psychological – and the way personal trauma can echo out into wider communities.”

The film co-stars Kezia Burrows, Steven Meo, Charles Dale, Andrea Hall, Ross O’Hennessy and Richard Elis, with additional appearances from Kai Owen, Gareth John Bale and Claire Cage. It positions itself at the intersection of horror and crime drama, with its gory set-pieces grounded by a sense of everyday realism. The violence is graphic, but often laced with an undercurrent of absurdity, as the body count rises and loyalties within the criminal underworld begin to fracture.

Sion, at the centre of the mayhem, is portrayed as both predator and victim, a man struggling to maintain a sense of identity while succumbing to increasingly uncontrollable urges. As rival gangs descend into paranoia and retaliatory bloodshed, the film charts his reluctant path toward atonement, albeit one soaked in blood and shredded muscle.

FrightFest audiences praised the film’s tone, performances and commitment to practical effects, with several critics highlighting its ability to balance visceral horror with grounded character work.

Protein is released by Bulldog Film Distribution, whose recent catalogue includes Eternal Beauty, Possum and All Happy Families. The distributor has built a reputation for supporting bold, independent work across genres, and Protein sits comfortably within its line-up of unconventional, challenging films.

Protein trailer

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