Muscle

Very fine performance by Cavan Clerkin as the hapless call centre drone who gets sucked into an ever worsening nightmare via a dubious personal trainer. The sound design is particularly effective, with the sounds of the weights hitting the racks enough to make you recoil from the deafening clatter.

Whatever the opposite of a feel-good film is, this is it, but it holds one"s interest as the protagonist's dilemma becomes increasingly desperate. The black and white cinematography serves the bleak setting and storyline well. The abrupt ending will leave some viewers frustrated, but is certainly preferable to a pat and predictable conclusion that would have been the choice of a Hollywood studio.