Directors: James Cullen Bressack
Writers: James Cullen Bressack, David Josh Lawrence
Stars: Galadriel Stineman, Maurice LaMarche, Kristos Andrews
Synopsis: After a tragic mob hit, an Army Ranger loses his wife. Consumed by vengeance, he abandons his workout video plans to relentlessly hunt down the mobsters responsible.
Action cinema often thrives on its simplicity: a wronged hero, a brutal loss, and an unstoppable mission for revenge. The Workout, the latest passion project from filmmaker James Cullen Bressack, takes that familiar formula and gives it an interesting twist by combining gritty action with found-footage filmmaking. Think Death Wish meets The Blair Witch Project, only with considerably more guns, gym equipment, and adrenaline.
The story follows Wyatt, an Army Ranger with plans to leave his military career behind and build a workout video empire. Having spent years in service, he’s looking toward a future that promises a little more stability and perhaps a different kind of purpose. Unfortunately, those plans come to an abrupt and devastating end when a mob attack at his gym leaves his pregnant wife caught in the crossfire. With his life turned upside down, Wyatt sets out on a relentless mission of revenge, enlisting his brother-in-law, Levi, as he takes on those responsible.
It’s hardly unfamiliar territory for an action movie, but what makes The Workout stand out is the way Bressack tells the story. Found footage is usually associated with horror, where shaky cameras and imperfect visuals help create tension and uncertainty. Here, the approach is transferred to an action setting, and I found it an interesting way to bring a little extra urgency to the proceedings. Rather than presenting every confrontation as a perfectly choreographed sequence, the handheld camerawork gives the violence a rougher, more immediate quality. Punches, gunshots, and ambushes feel chaotic, with the camera often struggling to keep up with the action.
That said, it’s not always the easiest viewing experience. The constant movement can become disorienting, particularly during the more frantic sequences, and anyone prone to motion sickness might want to approach with caution. There are also frequent transitions between different handheld cameras and CCTV footage, which occasionally make the visual presentation feel rather heavy. While I appreciate the commitment to the format, there are moments when the technique draws attention to itself rather than allowing the action to speak for itself.
The film stars Peter Jae (Darkness of Man), Josh Kelly (General Hospital), and UFC fighter Ashlee Evans-Smith. At its center, the lead performance gives Wyatt’s increasingly destructive journey an emotional foundation. His grief gradually hardens into anger, and although the film doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on the emotional fallout, there’s enough here to understand what is driving him. The supporting characters are less developed, but they help establish the dangerous world Wyatt is navigating and give his targets enough menace to make his increasingly brutal approach understandable.
Running for under 90 minutes, The Workout doesn’t hang around unnecessarily. As the story progresses, Wyatt’s health begins to deteriorate, but his determination to get even remains firmly intact. While the direction of the ending isn’t particularly difficult to anticipate, the final stretch delivers a suitably fierce burst of action.
The closing moments do take a slightly unexpected turn in tone, with a rather cheesy flash-forward designed to give everything a more rounded, wholesome finish. It’s a curious choice after so much brutality, and I wasn’t entirely convinced it was needed, but it certainly leaves the audience with something to think about as the credits roll.
Ultimately, The Workout won’t be for everyone. Those who prefer their action polished, carefully choreographed, and easy to follow may find the visual approach frustrating. However, I enjoyed seeing a familiar revenge story experiment with a format more commonly associated with horror. It doesn’t necessarily reinvent action cinema, and some of its choices work better than others, but there’s plenty of energy here. It’s a lean, rough-around-the-edges thriller that knows exactly what it wants to deliver: one angry man, a terrible loss, and a camera determined to capture every moment of the chaos.
