'Gifted Pain' Review: A Martial-Arts Inspired Action Thriller Of Trauma And Survival

Alex Leptos
3 days ago
5 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Official poster for Tobias Jon and Bojman Films' 'Gifted Pain.' — Official poster for **Tobias Jon** and **Bojman Films'** *Gifted Pain.*

"I love film in all its form. From a young child I engrossed myself in films, it's what I love, it's an escapism, "It's inspiring, [Bruce Lee's] story alone is an inspiring story. It pulled me in and made me want to follow his journey and absorb more of the genre he created. I think it gives people a purpose, martial arts defines a purpose in people's lives and gives discipline and motivation. We knew from the start that it would take a long period of time to do because of budget constraints. As soon as Covid hit, all the funders pulled out and a lot of things stopped with film-making. I thought - you only live once, let's just do it."

After five years in the making, it’s incredibly exciting to finally be sharing Gifted Pain with the world. We shot in Bristol as it’s my home town, has great locations and a fantastic group of independent filmmakers, so it means a lot to be hosting the premier here and to be celebrating the hard work of everyone who has supported the production since 2020

-Tobias Jon (writer/director, via BBC News)

Tobias Jon as Christopher in 'Gifted Pain.' — **Tobias Jon** as Christopher in *Gifted Pain*

Gifted Pain is a character-driven martial arts-inspired independent action crime-thriller written, directed by, and starring Tobias Jon. It follows Christopher- a quiet, physically imposing man with an almost vigilante-like demeanor living a solitary and regimented life in urban England, whose nights are spent watching old-school kung-fu martial arts movies movies- which he found comfort in as a child whilst his parents argued. His days are marked by emotional restraint and routine brought on by his difficult childhood. When a criminal organisation begins to encroach on his carefully ordered life, Christopher becomes entangled in a web of violence that forces him to confront both his own capacity for brutality and the unresolved trauma of his past. As Christopher crosses paths with Beth, a woman caught in the same exploitative system he begins to challenge, the film leans into some noir sensibilities, blending crime, fatalism, and fleeting intimacy with moments of introspection.

Gifted Pain explores ideas of repression, identity, and inherited violence, and the question of whether pain can be transformed into purpose or whether it only causes further harm. The film often carries a melancholic tone, with lingering shots that allow the audience to spend time with Christopher and his routine, creating an almost a fly-on-the-wall feeling that helps establish character and atmosphere.

Dylan Baldwin in Tobias Jon's 'Gifted Pain.' — **Dylan Baldwin** *(Dune: Part Two)* is Steve- Beth's boss.

The strongest part of the film’s early portion is the backstory of Beth, played by Sarah Jane Duncan, a stripper forced into a criminal underworld by ruthless bosses threatening her family. These sections are where the film leans into a noir- and even cyberpunk-esque- aesthetic, particularly in its cinematography, music, and overall mood. Duncan is also responsible for the film’s strongest performance, bringing emotional weight and credibility to the story. Christopher's own backstory is also shown via flashbacks of his abusive father and his mother doing her best to keep him at arms reach, which culminates in an event involving arson and attempted murder.

The film presents an intriguing concept involving the subconscious mind. Beth recalls a university professor lecturing about how the subconscious stores information without us realising, potentially granting access to memories or abilities that later manifest. This concept is used to explain why Christopher is capable in hand-to-hand combat through his love and comfort found in kung-fu movies. This idea however doesn’t meaningfully impact the plot, and there is no real progression or development around it. It's respectable that Jon wanted to give a reason as to why he can fight, but the idea of a mild-mannered man who enjoys kung-fu movies and happens to be capable in combat is a strong enough concept on its own. With his size, even a little training in his youth that he had retained would put him at a physical advantage. Additionally, the fighting itself doesn’t really emulate the classic "kung-fu" style, so to hone in focus on that connection can feel unnecessary.

Action fight scene in Tobias Jon's 'Gifted Pain.' — The action in Gifted Pain is inspired by martial arts movies.

The fight choreography is fairly basic, but not bad, and it noticeably improves as the film goes on. Gifted Pain lands its strongest strike in this area with a particularly nice nod to Marvel's Daredevil (and in turn Park Chan-wook's Oldboy, but more closely resembling the former) with a corridor fight scene as an exhausted Christopher takes on multiple assailants.

The antagonists in addition to being dastardly and unlikeable, also give the film some humour. They are portrayed as a fairly typical group of sarcastic English criminals. This approach works well and rarely feels out of place, adding a bit of levity without undermining the film’s darker elements., with Michael Maloney (The Crown) offering another standout performance as the big boss.

A scene from Tobias Jon's 'Gifted Pain.' — Christopher find himself unknowingly skilled in hand-to-hand combat.

There are some later plot developments that certainly give the Gifted Pain and Christopher's character some nice emotional weight however given the scarce details presented of their foundation, didn't land quite as impactfully as they could have. Additionally there are some decisions that feel disjointed like Christopher stating “nobody else can know about this, enough people have been hurt already,” only to then immediately pursue revenge, drawing more attention and causing more violence.

Gifted Pain is a film with clear ambition and a strong sense of mood, anchored by moments of genuine atmosphere and a compelling secondary performances. Whilst its conceptual ideas are underdeveloped and certain narrative choices feel misaligned with the themes it gestures toward, there is an earnestness to the film that carries it through its weaker moments. Tobias Jon shows a clear eye for tone and character, and with tighter narrative focus and greater confidence in its simplest ideas, Gifted Pain suggests a filmmaker still finding his voice- but doing so with great intent.

A quick shout-out must be given to the soundtrack- with licensed songs used very well throughout and the score is serviceable and complements the film appropriately, though it doesn’t stand out in the same way as the song choices.

About the filmmaker

Writer/director/actor of 'Gifted Pain' Tobias Jon. — Writer/director/actor of *Gifted Pain* **Tobias Jon.**

Tobias Jon is a British filmmaker, actor, and director. He wrote, directed, and stars in Gifted Pain (2025). His on-screen credits include Panic Button (2011), Heavy Duty (2012), The Fear (2012), and The Antwerp Dolls (2015). He is the founder of Bojman Films, a production company dedicated to independent, emotional storytelling.