Wasteman review: New British prison thriller is best since Sean Bean's Time

Five years ago, Sean Bean and Stephen Graham brought the current state of the underfunded British prison system to life in BBC miniseries Time.

Housed in tiny mould-infested leaky Victorian cells, modern inmates know how to hide contraband like mobile phones and drugs delivered by drone from the guards they call screws.

Now life on the inside has been dramatised thrillingly once again in Cal McMau’s new indie, Wasteman.

Filmed at HM Prison Shepton Mallet in Somerset, David Jonsson stars as Taylor, a miserable, drug-addicted prison cook of 13 years.

His time is almost up, and he cannot wait to see his teenage son, Adam.

But a spanner is thrown into the works with the arrival of his new cellmate Dee (Tom Blyth), an impulsive contraband king who knows how to get anything you want. Taylor wants to keep out of trouble, but it’s not long before he’s in debt to his fellow prisoner. Meanwhile, Alex Hassell co-stars as an older drug dealer in the jail, who has it in for those who cross him.

The two leads drive the suspenseful survivalist plot incredibly convincingly, while a narrower picture format only adds to the claustrophobic immersion. It may be a low-budget flick with a simple plot, but Wasteman’s strong script, combined with its powerful performances, creates one savage, heart-pounding experience that’s not to be missed.

Wasteman is out in UK cinemas on Friday.