With a tone setting opening scene that sees two drug dealing prisoners batter a fellow prisoner almost to death using a TV set on his head a la a similar scene in ‘Henry Portrait of a serial killer’, Wasteman fully earns its 18 certificate. It sets the scene for what’s to follow with the battered prisoner removed from the cell he shared with Taylor (David Jonsson). Perhaps it’s better the devil you know because his new cellmate is Dee (Tom Blyth) who right from the start makes it clear that he is the main man in their cell. More worryingly for Taylor is that Dee is intent on becoming the main drug dealer in his wing and his eyes are on the empire of the two dealers who battered his cell’s previous occupant.
It’s an obvious concern for Taylor as he is up for release on parole and needs to keep out of trouble lest it ruins his chances. His determination to remain low key and under the radar and avoiding getting in any trouble is in peril with Dee’s presence. Further still his potential parole means that he might finally reconnect with his estranged son, Blyth, and for once something positive might come out of his imprisonment but it’s all now in jeopardy.
Those Wasteman prisoners….
Dee is all alpha male and ultimately duplicitous in his determination to get whatever he wants and plays good prisoner to Taylor in helping him contact his son Blyth for the first time. Inevitably it’s a means to an end for Dee and his help will ultimately become a hindrance to Dee getting parole with a dilemma that has catastrophic consequences whatever Dee decides to do putting him in a position where he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t and may even end up dead either way.
Acting up…..
At the centre of this are two terrific performances by the leads. Jonsson is phenomenal as a long time almost institutionalized prisoner finally getting sniff of freedom, anew start in life and the beginning of a meaningful family relationship. It’s heart breaking seeing his opportunity slipping through his fingers because of his self-centred cell mate determined to be the Daddy on the wing, in another great performance from Tom Blyth as a chillingly scheming sociopath. Together they have a compelling on screen dynamic.
See it ?
British prison films are often stories of real life prisoners in films such as ‘Brosnan’, ‘McVicar’ and ‘Hunger’. Wasteman, whilst not a true life story, is nonetheless realistic in in its depiction of prisoner regime, hierarchy and the constant simmering threat of violence only a surly glance away. It’s an excellent independent film by debut director Cal McMau and writers Hunter Andrews and Eoin Doran making Wasteman one of the best prison dramas in years.
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Here’s the Wasteman trailer HERE
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