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WASTEMAN

Starring: David Jonsson, Tom Blyth, Alex Hassell, Corin Silva, and Paul Hilton
Director: Cal McMau

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AMARÚ

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We all (should) know that David Jonsson is on the precipice of greatness, but it’s Tom Blyth to whom I owe an apology. I wasn’t really familiar with your game, sir. Wasteman is a two-man tour-de-force wrapped in director Cal McMau’s visceral encapsulation of the hellish conditions of prisons everywhere. His hard-hitting mix of close-quarter camera work and found-footage prisoner videos sets the foundation for Jonsson to showcase a vulnerability not many actors can manage while Blyth hits a level of menace and intensity I didn’t know he could reach. This one hits hard, and it will leave you in a breathless sweat from start to finish.

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NICK

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To me, the best on-screen depiction of prison has been HBO'S Oz. So it's a huge compliment to say that's what Wasteman reminded me of. I've been waxing poetic about David Jonsson for some time, but this film is more than just a great showing from him. In fact, Tom Blyth is the headline here, as he comes out of nowhere with a powerhouse performance. A gritty, dirty film that never glorifies prison nor shy away from its issues, Wasteman may not bring anything new to the table, but when a story is told and performed as well as this, it doesn’t always need to.

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This film was reviewed by Nick and Amarú as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

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