--- title: "Wasteman: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/wasteman/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/wasteman" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Wasteman (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like Wasteman, and the praise clusters almost entirely on the two leads. David Jonsson’s weary, layered Taylor and Tom Blyth’s menace are singled out in nearly every review, with several calling the pairing the reason the film works. The reviews also credit the film with feeling current: phone-shot sequences, a social media motif, and details drawn from real footage and ex-inmates that tie it to the state of British prisons now. The reservations are about familiarity. Even the warm reviews concede the story follows the prison-drama template and does not break new ground. The spread is moderate rather than wide: most sit between good and very good, with Time Out finding it ordinary until it becomes a film about a terrible cellmate. The one real dissent is IndieWire, reviewing from a festival, which finds little beyond Jonsson’s performance and a great deal of violence it does not think the film earns. ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2026. The critic calls it a remarkable feature debut that blends social-realist traditions with fresh relevance to the UK's prison crisis, marked by authenticity from real footage, ex-inmate input and timely plot elements like early-release schemes. They single out the visceral energy, intense tension, and strong performances from David Jonsson and Tom Blyth for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wasteman/) ## RogerEbert.com — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 April 2026. The critic finds the film a powerful debut that fuses gritty psychodrama with hardboiled melodrama, holding tragic weight. Jonsson and Blyth’s inspired pairing as the cellmates is singled out for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wasteman-david-jonsson-film-review-2026) ## Slant Magazine — Marshall Shaffer Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 April 2026. David Jonsson and Tom Blyth form a compelling yin-and-yang pair in this gritty prison drama about two cellmates navigating violence and survival. The film effectively balances narrative economy with specificity in its exploration of prison dynamics and surveillance. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/wasteman-review-tom-blyth/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2026. The critic calls the film a brutally violent and gripping British prison drama that sidesteps familiar tropes with fierce storytelling and committed performances. Rising stars David Jonsson and Tom Blyth are singled out for their convincing portrayals of the central cellmates. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/18/wasteman-review-brit-prison-drama-is-as-lethal-and-nasty-as-a-sharpened-toothbrush) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 April 2026. The critic finds the familiar prison drama lifted by the stars’ contrasting energies and McMau’s assured direction. The dueling masculine archetypes and cellphone-shot sequences are singled out. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/wasteman-review-david-jonsson-1236721545/) ## Los Angeles Times — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 2026. The critic calls the debut a solid reminder of the sturdy appeal of prison survival stories, thanks especially to Jonsson’s layered performance. The predictable genre elements and focus on the leads’ dynamic are noted. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-04-24/wasteman-review-david-jonsson-tom-blyth-cal-mcmau-prison) ## Time Out — Shaurya Thapa Rating 3/5. 6 January 2026. The critic finds the film a familiar entry in the prison movie genre until it focuses on the relatable nightmare of a terrible roommate. They praise the lead performances, especially Jonsson's empathy and Blyth's menacing presence, along with the use of phone-shot footage for a social media-era feel. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wasteman-review-2026) ## IndieWire — Christian Zilko Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2025. Festival review. The film offers a strong showcase for lead David Jonsson but otherwise provides little beyond graphic depictions of prison violence. It effectively conveys the brutality and pointlessness of that violence yet fails to justify subjecting viewers to so much of it. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/wasteman-review-1235150656/) ## The Playlist — Christian Gallichio Rating B+. 17 April 2026. The critic praises the film as a calculated and enticing debut that rises above its influences through strong performances, particularly David Jonsson's nuanced turn as the weary prisoner Taylor, and its contemporary social media motif. However, it doesn't break new narrative ground and leans on familiar prison drama tropes. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/wasteman-review-a-brutal-prison-two-hander-finds-its-pulse-in-david-jonssons-continued-hot-streak-20260417/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/wasteman.md