The Man Inside review

Can a knockout lead turn save a lousy film?

Not quite, but Ashley Thomas – aka rapper Bashy – is one to watch. He plays Clayton, a troubled youngster raised on his gangster dad’s violence and struggling to translate his coiled rage into a boxing career.

Thomas’ heavy-lidded anguish is striking, but he’s let down by a clichéd script, variable casting (Peter Mullan is excellent; ex-Libertine Carl Barât bad) and plodding direction.

Stories this familiar depend on local detail to distinguish them; sadly, Dan Turner’s style is an awkward clash of London accents and Newcastle backdrops.