Wasteman, the “electrifying” British thriller with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, will screen for free in over 100 UK cinemas. The move comes as part of a BFI-supported initiative titled Escapes that aims to make cinema more accessible.
Escapes is offering complimentary tickets to see Wasteman, with free screenings taking place between 16 and 17 February – ahead of the film’s release on 20 February.
Directed by Cal McMau, the film stars The Long Walk’s David Jonsson as a prisoner named Taylor. When Taylor encounters his “ruthlessly violent” new cellmate Dee, played by Tom Blyth (People We Meet on Vacation), his chance at early release is compromised.
The synopsis reads: “After years in prison, in which time his son has grown up without him, Taylor’s parole is approaching. It’s bad timing, then, that new cellmate Dee ropes Taylor into violent inmate rivalries, endangering his fresh start.”
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, BFI director Ben Luxford said: “Escapes aims to boost independent cinema attendance and build cinema audiences in the long term.
Bankside Films
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“We’re excited to be partnering with Lionsgate to preview Cal McMau’s electrifying Wasteman to audiences across the U.K. for free, thanks to National Lottery funding. Claim your tickets, grab the popcorn and we’ll see you in the cinema!”
Already a hit among critics, the film received rave reviews following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts a perfect score of 100% from 10 reviews, with The Arts Desk writing: “Driven by its two strong leads and McMau’s tightly-focused direction, this flick should go far.”
Lionsgate
Next Best Picture said of the film: “Wasteman is a frenetic prison drama that is as unnerving as it is harrowing. David Jonsson and Tom Blyth continue to showcase their talents with two powerhouse performances fuelled by the technicality of Cal McMau’s direction.”
“Even if it doesn’t fully probe the socio-political realities of the prison experience, Wasteman succeeds as an emotional survival tale. Here’s a film that proves that sometimes, the most terrifying part of prison can just be who you’re locked up with,” penned Time Out.
Free tickets for Wasteman will be available at Escapes from 2 February.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.