First time director McMau has shot out of the gate with this impressive and visceral debut that is raw with emotional vulnerability and manages difficult violence without exploiting it. Wasteman keeps its story tight, hits all the necessary beats, and focuses mostly on the interiority of its characters in a way that makes it a powerful gut punch of a film that will leave its audience with a lot of feelings.
The cast is great and Blyth really shines here but I'm here to talk about Jonsson who has become one of the most exciting young actors to come along in a very long time. Every time I see him in something he not only stands out but he surprises me. Wasteman is a new high for him, giving a complicated and rich performance that really takes it all to the next level. He has become the kind of actor I will be excited to see a movie just because he is in it.
Wasteman isn't an easy film despite its short runtime and rather straightforward plot. Its focus on people who are complicated at best and often quite despicable, its refusal to sugarcoat the realities of prison life and (at the same time) refusal to exploit that into melodrama, and its attention to the details of its sad story make it a bitter pill but well worth it.
Wasteman
Starring: David Jonsson, Tom Blyth
Director: Cal McMau
Writers: Hunter Andrews, Eoin Doran
