Cosmo Jarvis take a bow. Playing lead character Douglas (The Arm) he hits every note. His portrayal of a former boxer struggling to break free from the brutality of his past and present life is both captivating and heart wrenching. Set in rural Ireland, Douglas is used by local crime family the Devers as their enforcer, and while the punishment he dishes out to those unfortunate enough to have crossed them is savage, he is the real victim. Jarvis captures superbly the tortured soul of the main protagonist with a brooding and sensitive performance that deserves huge praise. Superb supporting roles from the brilliant Niamh Algar as his former wife trying to make a life for their autistic son and Barry Keoghan as his manipulative wannabe drug king pin. Throw in Ned Dennehy's performance as Paudie, a wretched local crime lord descending into madness, and the ensemble in complete. Cinematography is bleak and beautiful and the music is so in tune with the narrative that you forget it's there.

A great piece of gritty Irish cinema and my only gripe is that I feel there was room for another 20 minutes or so.

Firstly it is a sad gritty portrayal of criminal families retribution and loyalty set in rural Ireland...

It's not a Guy Ritchie film, it's not got clever lines and arty montages set to current edgy. Trendy music.

The lead role is much maligned in some reviews as wooden and poor actor. I could not disagree more... Firstly he's playing the part of a quiet man who has learned a way in the world through violence and misplaced loyalty. Its clear that as well as his little boy being far on the autistic spectrum that so is he. So infact imho he plays the role very well...

The film is tense and brooding and yes it's depressing... But hey watch Mary Poppins if you don't like gritty films.

If you are looking for stylish gangsta movies... Move along... But otherwise give this film your time...

First off the performance of Cosmo Jarvis is the stand out in this movie. He has a feel of Tom Hardy about him and I'd tip him for big things in the future.

I was a bit worried going in that there might be a language barrier as the Irish accent can get a bit thick but it wasn't a problem for me.

The story is pretty standard, a crime family taking retribution on a local miscreant but transplanting it from the streets of New York or LA to rural Ireland gives the movie a wild west feel. My only criticism is the ending is a little predictable, in fact all but inevitable. I would have liked to have had my expectations subverted in that respect.