Wasteman follows the great British cinema tradition of bringing no-holds barred, gritty stories to life. Cal McMau’s feature debut casts a sceptical eye on the British prison system and questions how effective it realistically is.
The drama follows Taylor (David Jonsson) who is mere weeks away from being released on parole. His self-imposed peace is intruded upon when he gets a lively new cellmate, Dee (Tom Blyth), whose love for violence threatens Taylor’s release. It becomes complicated when Dee steals another prisoner’s drug supply and causes a gang war. Does Taylor jeopardise his loyalty to his lethal new friend or does he compromise his chance of getting out after 13 years behind bars?
An Original Script Which Waste No Time and No Man
Wasteman isn’t interested in dramatizing proceedings and adding unnecessary drama. The script cautiously values authenticity over the grand narrative. The prison isn’t full of savages nor is it a full of people who have miraculously repented for their sin. It’s an overcrowded jail that is forcing to release prisoners early due to overcrowding. Thanks to numerous altercations being depicted through smartphone screen with shaky camera work, it almost feels documentary like in its rawness.
Suitable for the surroundings, Wasteman is horribly claustrophobic. McMau’s camerawork will make you think you’re locked up with the boys. The film sttarts with a brutal attack on Robby (Neil Linpow), at the hands of Paul (Alex Hassell) and Gaz (Corin Silva). It’s a brutal opening that dares you to watch and sets up exactly the type of gut punch to expect from the film. When the violence comes, and this film doesn’t shy away from it, it’s hard to watch because it feels like you are there.
The film does sacrifice its characters in favour of brisk realism. Audiences are forced to fill in the gaps, even on some of the more important parts like how Taylor and Dee bonded so quickly or the mechanics of the prison-run enterprises. The script could have still refined its world building without compromising on its commitment to realism.
Wasteman may be light on narrative, instead concentrating on subtext and themes, but it’s a fantastic showcase for our two leading men. David Jonsson carries himself like a man terrified at losing his shot, shoulders permanently hunched over, trying to avoid making eye contact with the wrong person.
While Jonsson has been putting in nuanced, layered performances like this for years, but some audience may be surprised at how terrifying Tom Blyth is. If you think of him as the romantic interest from People We Meet On Vacation or The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, prepare to be unnerved at how good he is as the violent, hyper-macho Dee. He plays Dee with a feral unpredictable swagger, his blue-eyed stare looking down the lens.
Wasteman would have been made or broken by the strength of its lead performance, and Blyth and Jonsson more than manage to carry this script. The script is stripped back and minimal, forcing the actors and the audience to fill in the gaps. Jonsson and Blyth’s body language, especially Jonsson’s expressive face, add another layer to the story.
This film isn’t reinventing the genre, but it certainly gets its point across. A prisoner on the cusp of release dragged back into the thing that landed him in jail isn’t anything new, but it’s certainly presented in a way that feels more honest than most.
Cal McMau’s debut lines him up to be the new Mike Leigh or Ken Russell, a filmmaker who isn’t scared to strip back society and show life unvarnished. Wasteman refuses to sanitise itself or its characters, even if it makes you uncomfortable.
Wasteman played at the London Film Festival.
Learn more about the film at the IMDB site for the title.
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