Wasteman

by Mike McGranaghan

I have a theory that all good prison movies are actually horror flicks. They scare you with the harsh realities of life behind bars, instilling a deep fear of ever having to set foot inside a jail. Wasteman is a very good prison movie. Although the plotting is a bit thin at times, the portrait of prison life is absolutely harrowing. Director Cal McCau intermittently uses cell phone footage of inmate violence, and we can’t tell if it’s been recreated or if it’s real. Starting the film off that way instantly sets us on edge.

Taylor (David Jonsson) is a former drug addict about a week away from being paroled, provided he doesn’t screw up. His pending freedom is threatened by the arrival of a new cellmate, Dee (Tom Blyth). He’s the type of prisoner who hooks the others up with snacks, cigarettes, and drugs. When Dee gets into a turf battle with another prisoner, Taylor is dragged into the middle. Adding to the pressure is that he desperately wants to get out to see his teenage son.

Wasteman doesn’t really tell a direct story. It doesn’t go from plot point to plot point. That’s mildly frustrating at times. Then again, doing so isn’t entirely necessary in this case. By witnessing each escalating episode, the jeopardy Taylor is in becomes clear. Dee is not someone you can casually be around. He’s a black hole that sucks in chaos wherever it goes. The harder Taylor tries to stay out of Dee’s business, the more he becomes embroiled in it, simply because they share a cell.

The perpetual possibility of violence comes across powerfully. Guards abusing their position is by no means the biggest worry to have. In this jail, the only way to be the chief supplier is to eradicate the competition. In an especially disturbing scene, Dee’s rivals storm the cell, beat the stuffing out of him, and intimidate Taylor into performing an act that could mean his demise if Dee ever finds out. Tension of that sort runs throughout the film.

Top tier performances are the other key factor to Wasteman’s success. Blyth is genuinely scary as the volatile Dee. He gives a big, blustery performance, infusing his character with a combination of anger and "no Fs to give" resignation to his status as prisoner. Jonsson beautifully plays the opposite side of the coin, turning Taylor into a scared little man, already in over his head in jail and terrified of losing his parole. For the ending, the actor is required to suggest a particular type of evolution on Taylor’s part, which he does with consummate skill.

The explosive bond created by the stars, added to the gritty portrait of prison life, makes Wasteman a tough yet hard-hitting watch.