REVIEW: Wasteman – to-the-point prison thriller sees David Jonsson and Tom Blyth lock in their rising star power

An image from the film Wasteman. It features two male characters (David Jonsson and Tom Blyth) in a prison setting, one wearing a grey tracksuit and the other in a white tank top, standing against a wall with visible tattoos. — *Lionsgate*

Directed by: Cal McMau
Written by: Hunter Andrews and Eoin Doran
Run Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

David Jonsson and Tom Blyth are two of the most commendable British actors on the rise right now. Both have already proven their capabilities in larger franchise fare; Alien for Jonsson and The Hunger Games for Blyth. While perhaps more excitedly, they’ve also lent their talents to smaller indie projects like Rye Lane (2023) and Plainclothes (2025). Now, as the trajectories of their star power continue to gain momentum, they have momentarily converged for Cal McMau’s prison thriller, Wasteman.

The film follows prisoner of thirteen years, Taylor (David Jonsson), who’s close to being released early on the condition that he maintains his good behaviour. However, his plans for keeping a low profile are suddenly disrupted with the arrival of unruly new cellmate, Dee (Tom Blyth). His imposing presence on the wing starts to attract unwanted attention from both guards and prisoners alike, stirring up violence and causing disorder that sees Taylor’s early release put increasingly at risk.

Cal McMau begins his debut feature with an intense interrogation between prisoners, one that can only end in the inevitable: violence. He makes the brutality of his setting immediately apparent, and with this presentation of the unavoidable puts an idea in the minds of his audience that Taylor’s reality may well be inescapable. This doubt is only exacerbated when Dee makes his unceremonious entrance, signalled by Taylor’s sinking, wordless expression. As he watches his new cellmate disrupt his humble prison dwelling the realisation quickly sets in that his chances of making parole have just been severely jeopardised.

Much of the tension in Wasteman is born out of this conflict, pitting the hope of Taylor’s potential freedom against the precarious nature of Dee’s unchecked rage. While delicately manoeuvring between the two, McMau will occasionally unleash a sudden burst of ferocity; a savage prison riot or a shocking cell ambush, that reminds audiences of how unforgiving this harsh landscape really is, and specifically just how close Taylor’s carefully constructed plan for survival is to complete collapse.

Screenwriters Hunter Andrews and Eoin Doran ensure that Wasteman remains compelling in-between punches too, gradually developing the tenuous relationship between the new cellmates. Each new interaction sees Taylor’s hesitancy to become involved with Dee somewhat lessen. However there’s an unmistakable air of foreboding that accompanies Dee’s extensions of generosity, like there will be a price to pay at some point down the line. And it’s here that the script confidently leads us, arriving at the most thrilling of finales.

Yet this ticking time-bomb of a plot can only achieve its desired impact if its fuse is properly ignited. Thankfully, the electric two-hander at the centre of Wasteman provides more than enough of a spark. Both David Jonsson and Tom Blyth are superb, solidifying their respective breakthroughs with aplomb. Jonsson gives Taylor the unassuming quality of a man desperately trying to keep his head down. He could be deemed a coward by prison standards but Jonsson deftly embodies the considerable stakes of his character, delivering a truly inspired display of anxiety that audiences eventually bear the weight of too. Opposite him, Blyth is his complete inverse, giving Dee a terrifying glint of unpredictability in his eyes. It feels like literally anything could set him off and paired with his intimidating physicality this makes him a formidable threat and an especially unnerving presence.

As a duo, they’re as dynamic as they come and their talents alone are enough to make Wasteman a success. However McMau isn’t content to rest on the laurels of his leading men, affording the picture plenty of his own character too. In tandem with the film’s cinematographer Lorenzo Levrini, he gives this setting dimension and versatility despite its confined spaces and unvaried aesthetic, realising the script’s vision of life on the inside with fervour and style. And to do so in such succinct fashion too? Yeah, there’s no need for a get out of jail free card here.

Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★