Fresh off major love at TIFF and its UK premiere at the 69th BFI London Film Festival, Cal McMau’s debut film WASTEMAN brings a raw, unfiltered look at life inside. No glamour, just a brutal British thriller where one man’s shot at freedom gets threatened the moment a new cellmate steps in.
Taylor (David Jonsson) has been written off as a “wasteman” his whole life, by his area, by his family, even inside. He’s kept his head down and stayed out of the politics. But when Dee (Tom Blyth) lands in his cell, everything flips. Suddenly, the early parole he’s been working towards is on the line.
Dee shows Taylor a different side, helping him reconnect with the son he’s never met and giving him a chance to be the dad he’s always wanted to be. But nothing inside comes for free. With Dee aiming to rise up and become the top boy of the wing, Taylor gets dragged into a world of violence, power plays and consequences that don’t stop at the cell door.
Watch the official trailer above. WASTEMAN hits UK cinemas February 20th, 2026.