Wasteman

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1:57

Wasteman

Apr 2026

1h 30m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Taylor is branded a "wasteman" by society, his family and in prison. In a world of parties, gangs and violence, he's managed to keep out of trouble. However, with the arrival of chaotic cellmate Dee, the chance to make early parole and get his life back are put in jeopardy.

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Critics Consensus

A prison picture with a terrific pair of lead performances by David Jonsson and Tom Blyth, Wasteman is harrowing, superbly acted across the board, and revealing about the incentives for violence in the correctional system.

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Tim Grierson

Los Angeles Times

Apr 27, 2026

The movie’s bitterest irony is that, of the two men, it’s ultimately Dee who may be more honorable.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

Apr 17, 2026

3.5/4

It's a genre piece with tragic weight.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Apr 15, 2026

3/4

Through the jangly use of cellphone cameras capturing violence on the cellblock and a winnowed down running time, “Wasteman” doesn’t waste one second of a film time. It certainly has a surplus of talent in front of and behind the camera.

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Luis Martínez

El Mundo (Spain)

Jul 17, 2026

4/5

Cal McMau makes his debut with a feverish exercise in prison cinema that is as ruthless as it is starkly human. [Full review in Spanish]

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Nando Salvá

Cinemanía (Spain)

Jul 16, 2026

4/5

It lasts only an hour and a half, and thanks to all of this, it doesn't need any more to accumulate a true tragic magnitude. [Full review in Spanish]

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Fran Chico

Fotogramas

Jul 13, 2026

4/5

There's an electric tension between [Tom Blyth and David Jonsson], a mixture of fragility and arrogance, of fear and defiance, that sustains the entire story, transcending its mafia-movie aesthetic. [Full review in Spanish]

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Dainard B

@Dainard 3 hrs ago

Really good story and great writing. Definitely recommend

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Steven P

@shparker 4 days ago

Great Movie but not what I expected. Very heavy British Accents which made it hard to understand, and the Voice volume was very low. My wife had A hard time hearing it, Great plot twist at the end.

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Leaburn O

@RT35452347 Nov 8, 2026

Basic plot but very convincing and scary. Hard not to be engaged wth the main character and his journey through a gritty, violent British prison system. Watched on a Virgin Atlantic flight.

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Markus H

@mhartel Oct 25, 2026

An excellent movie with a refreshing simplicity and human element & connection. I truly enjoyed it in its entirety.

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Ryan H

@HAWKINGS_ Oct 11, 2026

Very simple, very realistic, very gritty. Great acting from the entire cast. I would recommend, and I would watch it again.

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown Oct 8, 2026

Inside the correctional facility, it's a world with different rules. Huge drug guy comes in a gives the "wasteman" a leg up all the while endangering his chances of getting out and getting to his son.

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Cal McMau

Director

David Jonsson

Taylor

Tom Blyth

Dee

Alex Hassell

Paul

Corin Silva

Gaz

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Wasteman: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Taylor is branded a "wasteman" by society, his family and in prison. In a world of parties, gangs and violence, he's managed to keep out of trouble. However, with the arrival of chaotic cellmate Dee, the chance to make early parole and get his life back are put in jeopardy.

Director: Cal McMau
Producer: Sophia Gibber, Myles Payne
Screenwriter: Hunter Andrews, Eoin Doran, Hunter Andrews, Eoin Doran
Distributor: Vertigo Releasing / Sunrise Films
Production Co: Agile Films
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 17, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 19, 2026
Runtime: 1h 30m

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