Protein plus Q&A
Friday June 20th
DEAD MAN’S SHOES meets HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER in this brilliant British psycho-thriller – with a local connection!
PROTEIN + Q&A with star/exec. producer Craig Russell
“Think DEAD MAN’S SHOES meets HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, and you’re in the right ballpark for this outstanding piece of modern British filmmaking.”
When a gym-obsessed drifter with a taste for human flesh murders a local drug dealer, he inadvertently ignites a vicious turf war that tears through a Welsh town. What follows is a masterclass in tension, dark humor, and unflinching brutality that marks Tony Burke as a major new voice in British horror.
PROTEIN isn’t just another serial killer film – it’s a razor-sharp study of toxic masculinity, small-town corruption, and the monsters that walk among us. Burke’s feature debut, expanded from his acclaimed 2014 short, delivers the kind of intelligent, uncompromising horror that British cinema does best.
Falmouth-based actor Craig Russell delivers a career-defining performance as Sion, the quietly menacing protagonist whose methodical approach to murder is as chilling as it is calculated. Russell, who also produced the film, brings a disturbing vulnerability to a character who could easily have been a one-note psychopath.
“Russell is excellent as the undemonstrative, purposeful maniac… This has a sly, macabre streak of humour which gives it more pep.” – Kim Newman
“Hitting the sweet spot between artistic endeavour and genre derangement isn’t easy. This highly entertaining film does it with style and savagery to spare.” – The People’s Movies
Having premiered to rapturous applause at London’s FrightFest 2024, PROTEIN represents everything we love about contemporary British horror – intelligent, uncompromising, and absolutely unforgettable.
I’ve known Craig Russell for over 20 years, and I’m thrilled to welcome him to the Plaza for what promises to be a fascinating post-film discussion about bringing this dark vision to life.
This is essential viewing for anyone who believes British horror is alive and kicking.
