I Want Your Sex (2026) Film Review

When fresh-faced Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse.

I Want Your Sex is directed by Gregg Araki director of Mysterious Skin (2004), Nowhere (1997), The Living End (1992), Three Bewildered People In The Night (1987), White Bird In A Blizzard and a few others.

Gregg Araki makes his return and it was definitely worth the wait, Araki mostly sticks with what he does best when it comes to his filmmaking style. However he also brings a bit more to make the experience differentiate itself from the rest of his work. You also have some very committed performances as well as this commentary on sex and how often people see it merely as performance rather than expression. All of this together creates such a fun and investing time.

The performances are why this film works as well as it does, Cooper Hoffman does such a fantastic job of playing this submissive goof and truly works well with the rest of the cast. His commitment to the role is truly phenomenal and really does bring this sense of passion to his performance. Olivia Wilde is just as fantastic, right from the beginning of the film she automatically commands the screen with so much confidence and sharpness that really brings her performance together. It’s definitely a unique performance from Wilde which truly works due to the commitment she has to the role.

But together, Hoffman and Wilde truly elevate the film’s material. There are comedic moments and serious ones that the two really bounce off of perfectly. The two personalities of their characters makes for very entertaining moments that bring this natural chemistry that really gives the film the atmosphere it needs to truly shine.

The supporting cast is also quite great, Chase Sui Wonders is great and works well with Hoffman, Charli xcx has a small yet genuinely funny performance and Mason Gooding gives what is perhaps his best performance of his career thus far. This is the first time where Gooding actually manages to bring something a bit more to his performance and while he does not really play an incredibly important part here. There is something about his performance that feels genuine here, plus he works well with Hoffman and manages to bring in a few laughs.

The film’s writing is quite clever, admittedly there’s a few predictable moments. But the film makes up for it with its commentary on sex and how some people see it as performance rather than expression as I mentioned before. It’s very well done and gives Erika Tracey (played by Olivia Wilde) and Elliot (played by Cooper Hoffman) some strong character writing that almost feels like this compare and contrast situation that is pretty well done.

Something Araki does tap into is the modern youth’s outlook on sex and relationships as well. There is a lot of nuances here that Araki points out especially a scene that is earlier on in the film where Erika and Elliot have a brief but interesting conversation. There’s a lot of nuances of just growing up in general no matter what generation you are from, it’s very well done and really shows how much thought is put into what Araki is saying rather than just barging into an argument with no knowledge of the subject.

Overall I Want Your Sex is a very campy yet strong film that is a whole lot of fun. The amount of commitment and passion put into this film can be felt through the screen. This one might not be explosive as some of Araki’s previous work, but it still has what makes Araki such an excellent director.

I Want Your Sex releases tomorrow in theaters.

9/10 A

Rose Of Nevada (2026) Film Review

Mysterious boat returns to a village 30 years after vanishing. Two men join its crew hoping for better fortune. After one voyage, they find themselves transported back in time, mistaken for the original crew.

Rose Of Nevada is directed by Mark Jenkin director of The Midnight Drives (2007), Bait (2019), Enys Men (2022) and a few others.

Rose Of Nevada is a film where if I had to describe it in one word it would be mystery, because 90% of the time you are not quite sure what is exactly going on here and not in the bad sort of way. The film’s world has this atmosphere attached to it that really compliments the full theming as well, when you combine that with excellent performances and Mark Jenkin’s clever direction. You end up with an experience that you are not going to forget anytime soon.

The performances from George MacKay and Callum Turner are really strong and lure you into the film, I also do love the compare and contrast element going on here with their characters. Nick (played by MacKay) notices that time is being moved backwards, while Liam (played by Turner) embraces the time change almost as sort of way to go against it or challenge it.

The time travel element is incredibly well done here, the whole idea of a ship that was thought to be lost just appears ones day is the sort of story that you would tell your friends around a campfire. The film’s atmosphere compliments this as well, its oozing with this haunting feel that really makes you wonder where did this ship go? What did this ship see? It’s the many questions like these that we don’t really get an answer to but that is perhaps the most haunting part of it all, it’s such a brilliant way to really tie this into a ghost story and truly make the whole story stand on its own.

The whole 16mm look is absolutely fantastic, it brings its own sense of character into the mix and has this haunting version of nostalgia attached to it that really makes this film’s atmosphere all the more haunting. Mark Jenkin’s cinematography has so much detail going on here as well. It paints this haunting picture of going backwards in time that nobody can really do anything about because the source of it is unknown.

Finally there’s the direction from Mark Jenkin who does such a fantastic job of painting a town with no way forward and can only really look back, some people accept it while others who have something to live for do not. It’s especially haunting since as I mentioned earlier the reason why this is happening is not explained and it traps you in this fear of the unknown territory, how far back are the characters going to go in time? What are they going to witness? Those are questions that are entirely up for the viewer to decide and think about.

Overall Rose Of Nevada is a really strong film, it may take a little bit to get going. But once it does it leaves an impact on the viewer and gives you several questions to think about. I do think that if you plan on watching this film you should go in knowing as little as possible.

Rose Of Nevada is currently in theaters.

8/10 B+

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026) Film Review

Through unlikely bonds formed during night shifts at a local aquarium, Tova, an elderly widow, learns of a life-changing discovery that may bring her joy and wonder once again.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is directed by Olivia Newman director of First Match (2018) and Where the Crawdads Sing (2022).

Going into Remarkably Bright Creatures I knew very little, all that I knew was Sally Field and Lewis Pullman were in the cast. On the surface this might seem like a very nothing special about it Netflix movie that involves an Octopus. Surprisingly enough however there is a whole lot more going on here and when you combine that with some strong performances and actually well written dialogue, you have yourself something to really sink your teeth into.

What is mainly holding this film together is the cast, Sally Field who plays Tova is just so endearing and lovely, her chemistry with Lewis Pullman is genuinely charming and by her own she is just such a brilliant actress. Sally Field has always been fantastic and that continues to show here, she is the heart of the film and due to her beautiful personality and charisma it naturally works and brings the viewer into the film.

Lewis Pullman is also quite fantastic here, Pullman is an actor who has been quickly becoming more and more of a star and his performance here continues to show why that is. Seeing his character Cameron slowly have this friendship with Tova is truly beautiful and really fits into the film’s whole theme of making connections in all sorts of places and those connections can lead us to places we never could imagine. It’s truly beautiful and the character work (even if there are parts of it that does feel a bit incomplete) for Cameron plus how Pullman executes it with his dialogue and acting is truly fascinating.

Finally there is Alfred Molina who voices Marcellus the octopus, much like how one of Netflix’s other films Spaceman (2023) had Hanuš an empathic spider played by Paul Dano. Remarkably Bright Creatures has Alfred Molina voice an octopus who observes the connection between Tova and Cameron plus solidifies it. Molina does such a fantastic job here whether it was intentional or not that he was cast since he played Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 (2004). The scenes we get of Marcellus talking to the viewer or about what is currently happening are truly fascinating and it mainly just comes down to Molina’s tone and how he really executes the dialogue. There are moments that actually did make me tear up quite a bit as well.

The film’s script is shockingly strong, as mentioned before we get the whole theme of connections and where they can take us. It’s beautifully done in this very natural way that you can very easily tell the cast and crew poured their heart into, there is a mix of sad, dramatic and genuinely funny moments that really bring the whole film together in the end. I definitely think a few more scenes with Marcellus would have made the narrative a bit stronger, but from what’s presented with the script it’s quite strong.

Olivia Newman’s direction is incredibly charming and really brings the whole film together in a nice little bow, the film is a very human story about connections and Newman does such a fantastic job of capturing this feeling especially when combined with the atmosphere. The film can be a bit predictable at times but that is not nearly enough to stop it from being genuinely charming.

Overall Remarkably Bright Creatures is a very solid film that has strong performances from Field, Pullman and Molina plus beautiful direction from Newman to back it up. The theme of connection is well executed and the film is just a blast to watch, give this one a go if you haven’t.

Remarkably Bright Creatures is available on Netflix.

8/10 B+

The Death Of Robin Hood (2026) Film Review

Grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, Robin Hood finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation.

The Death Of Robin Hood is directed by Michael Sarnoski director of Pig (2021) and A Quiet Place: Day One (2024).

The Death Of Robin Hood goes for a much darker yet balanced approach to the story of Robin Hood, Sarnoski does a quite fascinating job of commenting on the light and dark of a figure and the toll it takes on them. The character writing might not be at its full potential, but I do think with what is presented and how well Sarnoski paints this world makes the film all the more worth experiencing.

Right off the bat Hugh Jackman gives yet another strong performance, there are some similar traits to Logan in Logan (2017) a figure who is at their last moments and thinking about everything they have come across in life plus how it affected them. Jackman’s version of Robin Hood is luckily not just him doing a repeat with Logan, we get this picture of a man who carries the scars of violence with him. Jackman does a tremendous job of showcasing this with tons of quiet moments as well as painful ones that reflect in his mind. This isn’t so much as a hero’s journey and more so a path of facing the violence you caused during your last moments of life.

Jodi Comer as Sister Brigid is quite strong here as well, we don’t get that much character writing for her sadly. But what we do get is a grounded and restrained performance that works well with Jackman. Her performance here definitely elevates the material in some areas where the film definitely needed it most.

Murray Bartlett as The Leper is quite an intriguing performance, The Leper is covered in bandages yet from the little we see of his face he instantly draws you in. He compliments the atmosphere incredibly well just by his presence alone, he’s one of those characters where even if we do get basic information about him. We still wonder what his complete story is, Bartlett does a fascinating job with his dialogue and interactions with the rest of the cast as well.

The first 40 or so minutes of the film is quite brutal, it’s clear that for this portion of the film it wants to focus on painting this raw, dirty and quite dangerous world. The violence here is shown in this quite unsettling way, we can also see this from the cinematography from cinematographer Pat Scola who pays extra attention to the detail and makes sure to highlight well. When you combine this with the performances of the film plus its dark atmosphere you do get some quite haunting results.

The film’s greatest weakness is it’s character writing, which is a bit shocking to me since Sarnoski did such an excellent job with his previous two films Pig (2021) and A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) especially in the character writing department. But here a lot is either not really elaborated on or just forgotten, Sister Brigid seems like she was supposed to be far more important but is restricted to rather surface level character writing. I understand that the focus is Robin Hood, but there is a ton of moments here where you wish you were seeing more meat on the character writing from the other characters.

Despite the character writing however, I do think The Death Of Robin Hood sticks the landing. It really comes down to Sarnoski’s more raw and brutal approach along with Hugh Jackman’s excellent performance as Robin Hood. It does a solid job of painting this road of guilt and reflection of violence you caused. Very strong film that I recommend giving a go!

The Death Of Robin Hood is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Girls Like Girls (2026) Film Review

Coley, 17, from rural Oregon, navigates intimacy after her mother’s passing. Meeting Sonya sparks new feelings, but self-doubt hinders their connection. Sonya, unfamiliar with dating girls, is uncertain. They learn to embrace emotions.

Girls Like Girls is directed by Hayley Kiyoko which is her directorial debut.

Girls Like Girls is a film that’s based off of Kiyoko’s song and music video of the same name. While at times you can definitely feel the music video element here, for the most part the film ends up being a quite solid coming of age film that truly does have a lot of heart due to how well acted and written it is.

Maya da Costa gives a strong debut performance, she brings her character Coley to life and captures all of the awkwardness and struggle to figure out who you really are and what you want in life. The little moments of Coley trying to figure out what to say or how to react to certain situations feels all too real due to her performance and commitment. Myra Molloy as Sonya is also quite strong here as well, she has excellent chemistry with da Costa and the scenes of the two are the film’s strongest moments. Seeing the bond between them form over the course of the movie does actually feel quite natural (with some liberties taken.)

Some of the film’s strongest writing comes from Coley slowly starts to develop romantic interest in Sonya who recuperates those feelings at first but then gives mixed signals due the possible consequences of hurting the dynamic of the two as friends. This is explored quite well and surprisingly natural, yes some of the dialogue can be a bit on the awkward side but I actually do think the film manages to compliment on that awkwardness and make it work.

The rest of the film is quite solid, the film’s atmosphere does give this nostalgic type of feel of moving to a brand new town as a kid and having to meet new people and explore the world around you. This compliments Coley’s story quite well and brings this focus on the bonds she makes and the world around her.

The film ends with ambiguity but one thing worth noting is the film does have a post credit scene showing a clear answer to the status of Coley and Sonya’s relationship. It’s a little puzzling as to why the movie decided to end on ambiguity but then immediately clear that up, this does not necessarily hurt the movie all that much. It was just sort of a very odd choice.

Overall Girls Like Girls is quite straightforward, It’s material is elevated due to the performances from da Costa and Molloy plus the film’s genuine and natural feel of capturing how teenagers act and talk towards one another. It’s unclear whether or not director Hayley Kiyoko is going to continue exploring with film, but it would definitely be interesting to see what her sophomore feature would look like.

Girls Like Girls is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Westhampton (2026) Film Review

Haunted by an accident he caused in high school, a filmmaker is drawn back to his hometown where he is confronted by former friends and a community that disdains him as he tries to find peace with the hurt he left behind.

Westhampton is directed by Christian Nilsson director of Dashcam (2021).

Westhampton is a film about trying to confront your past even if it’s very hard to face and trying to find peace with the pain you might have left behind. This is a very interesting film that develops its themes and characters quite well, it’s a bit slow paced in some areas but that isn’t enough to take away how well executed the film really is.

Finn Wittrock gives a strong performance as Tom, as the film goes on we slowly learn more and more about why Tom’s friends and even community don’t like him. There is this interesting element of Tom being a filmmaker where he made an autobiographical film of the accident, throughout the film we constantly switch between present day scenes and scenes from the autobiographical film. It gives Tom such a compelling journey for the viewer to follow, there is one particular moment that really sticks with the viewer through the credits.

The theme of confrontation is incredibly strong here and really moves the film in ways you would not really expect, it’s backed by quite strong writing that brings the previously mentioned switching between present day and autobiographical film element front and center. The autobiographical film has Tom’s interpretation of what happened, while in the present day we hear what his friends say what happened. It adds this complex layer to everything that the film slowly but surely reveals.

The nuanced performance from Finn Wittrock combined with film’s genuinely compelling storytelling is what really makes the film, the character writing is very raw and shows these very real moments between friends and their thoughts about the accident. The rest of the cast do such an excellent job here and truly give the film’s world that much more realism and personality.

I won’t say anything else about Westhampton as I do think you need to go into this one knowing as little as possible, but I do highly recommend this one as it is quite an impressive movie that really brings the viewer on Tom’s journey in meaningful ways.

Westhampton is currently in theaters.

7/10 B

Quick Review: The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

Andy Sachs reunites with Miranda Priestly as they navigate their careers amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is directed by David Frankel director of The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Marley & Me (2008), Collateral Beauty (2016), Jerry & Marge Go Large (2022) and a few others. The film serves as a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada (2006).

I actually really do not have a whole lot to say here about The Devil Wears Prada 2, it’s a decent movie for what it is and I do think it does the whole legacy sequel formula a lot better than some other franchises have been doing lately.

The cast is what are bringing this movie together, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are all fantastic here and bring just as much passion and strength as they did with the first movie. The performances are about what you expect but you can’t help but smile and have this great feeling of familiarity, seeing the four characters together again is truly fantastic and really reminds you of why they worked so well together in the first place.

The first 40 minutes or so is the typical legacy sequel style of film, but afterwards things get a bit more interesting. There’s a discussion of certain industries struggling to adapt to the shift of the modern world, particularly ones that flat out refuse to change due to various reasons. Although the movie does not really go enough into these ideas, what the movie does explore isn’t too bad.

Overall The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a fun enough sequel, it definitely tends to be a bit similar to the first movie quite often. However I do think it has its place and in some areas captures what made the first film a lot of fun and so recognizable.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Quick Reviews: Enola Holmes 3, The Hand Of Dante and Office Romance (2026)

Detective Enola Holmes heads to Malta, where her aspirations merge in her most complex and dangerous case yet.

Enola Holmes 3 is directed by Philip Barantini director of Villain (2020), Boiling Point (2021) and Accused (2023). The film serves as a sequel to Enola Holmes 2 (2022).

I’m not going to write an extensively long piece about the Enola Holmes series and my experience with it, because honestly the first two movies were cute movies that had their charm and that is really about as deep as it goes. Enola Holmes 3 shows that this series has overstayed its welcome and it might be time to move onto something else.

Millie Bobby Brown does a fine enough job here, but the spark she had in the first two movies is very noticeably absent. The performance just does not land as it did previously, Henry Cavill takes a backseat for a large portion of the movie and much like Brown, his performance has gotten noticeably worse as well. Which this is a bit of a shame because I did find Brown and Cavill decently charming in the previous two movies.

To say I was shocked that Barantini directed this would be an understatement, coming off of last year’s highly successful and acclaimed series Adolescence to this is quite baffling. The direction here is incredibly poor and has no idea what it wants to say or focus on, when you mix this in with the script from Jack Thorne you lead to some very underwhelming results.

The theme this movie attempts to tackle is British colonial history which for a movie series that prides itself on talk about important subjects, the movie does a quite poor job of exploring the subject. It makes surface level observations such as “look guys this was really bad” which is quite honestly embarrassing, it truly does feel like studio executives patting themselves on the back for being performative. It can very well be argued that the previous two movies are just as guilty of this (and I would agree with you), but at the very least they were competent movies that had good things about them. With this movie you do not get that at all and the studio executives feel is a lot more blatant here.

Overall Enola Holmes 3 is quite easily the worst of the series and it’s really not even close. It adds nothing new to the series and only brings the series backwards.

Enola Holmes 3 is available on Netflix.

3/10 D-

A handwritten manuscript of Dante Alighieri’s poem “The Divine Comedy” makes its way from a priest to a mob boss in New York City, where it is taken by Nick Tosches after he’s asked to verify its authenticity.

In The Hand Of Dante is directed by Julian Schnabel director of Basquiat (1996), Before Night Falls (2000), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), Miral (2010) and At Eternity’s Gate (2018).

In The Hand Of Dante is a prime example of movie that the only question going through your mind is “how on earth did this happen?” I’m going to keep this short simply because this is one of those terrible movies where it’s not even bad in an interesting way. It is a pretentious mess that thinks so highly of itself yet its saying very little with incredibly poor acting.

Martin Scorsese is the best part about this movie and not even him being dressed up as a Gandalf and Dumbledore hybrid could save this mess (he only has a couple of scenes as well, keep in mind this movie is 2 hours and 33 minutes long.) Scorsese seems to be the only one who is able to give a somewhat decent performance, it’s not terrible and it is almost certainly not something that belongs in the looney bin like some of these other performances.

If you want to hear one of the worst Italian accents ever put to film like no further than Gal Gadot. It’s truly baffling how not a single person on set questioned this, she has no chemistry with Oscar Isaac and the movie trying to build her character does not work at the slightest. Jason Momoa and Gerard Butler feel like cartoon characters trying to copy the behaviors of humans (some of these scenes go on for so long it becomes awkward.) Oscar Isaac does not necessarily give a bad performance it’s just one that is so forgettable and feels like a whole lot of nothing.

Lastly the movie trying to capture the whole Classic Hollywood noir of the 1940s and 1950s is embarrassing. The atmosphere that made those films so great is just not present at all here nor is the thrills. There are some admittedly beautiful locations but that’s where it really ends, the movie’s mystery is confused and does not offer any sort of strong connection with the characters or its themes. It’s a complete and total mess that can only be described as a science fair project that was done the day before it was due.

Overall, In The Hand Of Dante is a disaster of a movie that is truly baffling to watch. This is one of the most bafflingly bad movies I’ve seen in quite some time.

In The Hand Of Dante is available on Netflix.

1/10 F

Jackie, President and CEO of Air Cruz, runs a tight ship in her business, including a rigid anti-fraternization policy for all her employees, which is severely tested when a sexy new lawyer begins working for her.

Office Romance is directed by Ol Parker (or Oliver Parker) director of Imagine Me & You (2005), Now Is Good (2012), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) and Ticket to Paradise (2022).

Office Romance does not have a whole lot going on here with the exception of the birthing scene that seemingly comes out of nowhere. It’s clearly only here for shock value and that’s really about as deep as it goes. Everything else about this movie is incredibly bare bones romantic comedy cliches.

Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein and Betty Gilpin give fine enough performances, but none of them are quite enough to save the movie from being a chore to sit through. They each get one or two moments to shine, but really that’s where it ends.

The movie heavily relies on its cast to do all of the heavy lifting and carry the movie to the finish line, but completely forgets that you need a good script to help give the cast something to work with and that is just not present here at all.

Office Romance is available on Netflix.

3/10 D-

Mother Mary (2026) Film Review

Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer, Sam Anselm, on the eve of her comeback performance.

Mother Mary is directed by David Lowery director of Pete’s Dragon (2016), A Ghost Story (2017), The Old Man & The Gun (2018), The Green Knight (2021), Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) and a few others.

Mother Mary is the very definition of a film that is not going to be for everyone, however everything about this film just comes together in this haunting little present that you can’t help but stay invested in as the film goes on. Between the performances, the use of the one location setting, the haunting atmosphere, the music and the film’s exploration of pain and relationships and where art comes from the film is truly highlight from this year.

The performances from Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel are truly captivating, throughout the whole film it feels like Hathaway right on the edge of collapse and is quite lost on what to do. It’s this grounded mindset that truly brings her character Mother Mary to life and delves into the film’s theme of pain and relationships. Hathaway also nails it with the film’s original songs, they are all sung with power, passion and with the type of atmosphere that the film requires. Coel gives a performance that shows a tremendous amount of confidence and strength, she immerses herself into her character Sam Anselm and brings in this sincerity that truly is captivating.

The film heavily relies on the chemistry between Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel to really do the talking and luckily they do just that. The many conversations the two have are incredibly investing, talking about old memories, or their bond. There is a lot here that just works due to how talented the two really are, they do such a fantastic job of matching the film’s haunting atmosphere. Their long confrontation is intense and built on silence, every moment it feels like you are listening in on a grounded conversation. Due to this, the two give some of the best performances so far this year.

The writing is quite fantastic, the whole exploration of pain and relationships plus where art comes from is incredibly well done and is told in both this artistic and human manner. There are these moments of pain being expressed that are hauntingly beautiful, they truly capture this bond between Mother Mary and Sam Anselm that truly is highlighted quite beautifully. The ending only adds to this in this quite wonderful and well executed closing to the story.

The film’s atmosphere combined with its one location setting are fascinating. The atmosphere almost immediately captures this haunting, thrilling and beautiful feel of a film where you are not sure where it’s going to go just yet but you are fully on board. The one location setting brings the tense nature to the film especially when it comes to the confrontation of Mother Mary and Sam Anselm, it almost feels like a stage production at times which only adds to the film’s power that it displays.

Finally there is the music, Charli xcx, Jack Antonoff and FKA Twigs all worked on the soundtrack and each of the songs brings something different to the table. I do think Burial and Cut Ties are my personal favorites here, but all of the songs are fantastic. They all have their own story to tell, their own atmosphere and Anne Hathaway sings absolutely wonderfully. They all add up to such a fascinating story that really invests you into the film’s atmosphere.

Overall Mother Mary is one of the best films of the year, as I said before, it will most certainly not be for everyone but if it does sound like your thing you will not be disappointed.

Mother Mary is available on all VOD platforms.

10/10 A+

Wasteman (2026) Film Review

Follows parolee Taylor whose fresh start hopes are jeopardized by cellmate Dee’s arrival. As Dee takes Taylor under his wing, a vicious attack tests their bond, forcing Taylor to choose between protecting Dee and his own parole chances.

Wasteman is directed by Cal McMau which is his directorial debut.

Wasteman is a film that I knew very little about going in and walking out of it, this ended up being one of the best films of 2026 so far. From the brilliant performances from David Jonsson and Tom Blyth, to the detailed and disturbing exploration of the UK prison system, finally the thrilling atmosphere that will keep you focused the whole way through. The film has it all in this 90 minute package that is truly a powerhouse.

The performances from David Jonsson and Tom Blyth are what make this film and contribute to just how fantastic it really is. David Jonsson plays his character Taylor with such power and delivers an old soul type of performance, the whole story of Taylor seeking redemption is truly fascinating. Jonsson portrays Taylor as a character who is constantly wrestling with deep sorrow and the huge mental toll of trying to reconnect with his son. It’s a powerful and grounded performance that keeps building up as the film goes on, Jonsson has shown time and time again that he is one of the best actors of his generation and that is especially the case here.

Tom Blyth plays Dee an incredibly unpredictable, chaotic and volatile cellmate who brings this incredibly tense atmosphere into the film. Dee is the direct opposite of Taylor which only leads to several fantastic on screen tension moments, Blyth does such a fascinating job of putting so much chaotic and unpredictable energy into the performance, he does this in a very grounded approach rather than a cartoonish one you might see in other prison dramas. Much like Jonsson, Blyth has shown he’s one of the best of his generation and that continues to show here.

But what makes Jonsson and Blyth so fantastic in the film is them together, the back and forth dialogue, the constant tension in the room it’s all there that builds this incredibly thrilling atmosphere that strikes the viewer when they least expect it. The two are perfectly paired and go all out with their talent, the two’s chemistry is built on mistrust, necessity and this fragile sense of mutual survival. It’s truly some of the most effective chemistry from a film so far this year.

The look into the UK prison system is quite interesting and at times disturbing. Such as the lack of funding for staff which allows the prisoners to run rampant, smuggle, assault or kill. The film’s bleak atmosphere really paints this disturbing picture of focusing less on rehabilitation and more of the system struggling to keep order. The film leans into realism by having the location be the Shepton Mallet Prison, an extra touch is that 50% to 80% of the extras and background actors were actual former prisoners. Which gives the film even more rawness both in its story and the atmosphere.

Overall Wasteman is one of the best films so far this year. It’s a fascinating film from start to finish and truly paints this disturbing picture. The performances from Jonsson and Blyth alone are a reason why you should watch this one!

Wasteman is available on all VOD platforms.

10/10 A+