Free cinema screening of BAFTA-Nominated prison thriller ‘Wasteman’ hits Torquay

Torquay film fans are set for a cinematic treat as the BFI-supported initiative Escapes brings free screenings of the BAFTA-nominated British prison thriller Wasteman to over 100 locations across the UK.

Wasteman follows prisoner Taylor (Jonsson), who is approaching parole and wants nothing more than to be a father to the son he has never met. But when violent new cellmate Dee (Blyth) arrives, Taylor’s chance to rebuild his life is put at risk. The film portrays the brutal realities of UK prisons, including gangs, drugs, riots, overcrowding, and violence.

Jonsson, who won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2025 and was nominated for a BIFA for his lead role in Wasteman, said he hopes audiences will connect with the human story behind the violence. Starring opposite him, Tom Blyth delivers what the Radio Times described as “a performance of animal intensity.”

British R&B artist Ray BLK appears as the prison psychiatrist. The MOBO-nominated singer-songwriter, who made her acting debut in the BBC series Champion in 2023, is soon joining the cast of Paramount+’s The Agency. Alex Hassell, known for playing Rupert Campbell-Black in the Disney+/Hulu adaptation Rivals, also stars as Dee’s prison archnemesis Paul.

Director Cal McMau, whose debut film won Best Debut Director at the 2025 British Independent Film Awards, said he was inspired after seeing footage recorded by prisoners on smuggled phones: “It was raw, unfiltered, and terrifying - a visceral view of a world that felt more alien than any prison depiction I’d encountered before.

"In these brief, shocking glimpses, I saw not only the desperation but also the brutal truth of a system failing those it was supposed to rehabilitate.

"We can ignore these spaces, but in doing so, we dehumanise people and foster an environment where reoffending is almost inevitable.”

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and had its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. Written by Hunter Andrews and Eoin Doran, and produced by Sophia Gibber and Myles Pane, the project includes Jonsson and Philip Barantii, director of Netflix’s Adolescence and BBC’s Boiling Point, as executive producers.

Escapes is a nationwide initiative, funded by the BFI through National Lottery grants, which aims to make cinema more accessible by offering free screenings in local independent cinemas. Past films have included blockbusters, cult classics, and indie hits, with the scheme designed to bring new and returning audiences to local venues.

Critics have praised Wasteman for its intensity and realism. Time Out called it “a prison film for the social media generation,” GRM Daily described it as “one of this year’s most intense British thrillers,” and Variety said it “shows a prison life rarely seen on screen. Tense, raw, and very brutal.”

The award-winning film will be shown in Torquay at New Central, TQ2 5PY, on Tuesday 17 February 2026 at 8:00pm. Tickets are available free via the Escapes website.

For tickets and further information, visit escapetothecinema.co.uk .