Netflix’s ‘Ruthless’ 90-Minute Crime Thriller Shoots Straight to No. 1 — With Viewers Saying It Left Them ‘Genuinely Nervous’ From Scene to Scene

Netflix viewers have pushed a brutal British crime drama straight to the top of the platform’s UK movie chart — and some say its relentless 90 minutes left them genuinely uncomfortable.

Wasteman only recently arrived on the streaming service after receiving a limited theatrical release earlier this year.

It didn’t take long to find a much bigger audience.

At the time reported, the prison thriller had become Netflix’s most-watched film among UK subscribers, while viewers praised its tension, performances and uncompromising depiction of life behind bars.

One viewer admitted the movie had them “genuinely nervous” about what might happen in every new scene.

And with a reported perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, audiences aren’t the only ones impressed.

One cellmate threatens everything Taylor has worked for

At the center of Wasteman is Taylor, played by David Jonsson.

Taylor has been dismissed as a “wasteman” by society, his family and those around him in prison.

Yet despite being surrounded by gangs, violence and chaos, he has managed to stay away from serious trouble.

That restraint matters.

Taylor has a chance of securing early parole and reclaiming his life outside prison.

His plans are thrown into danger when he is given a new cellmate.

Dee is chaotic and unpredictable, and his arrival threatens to drag Taylor into precisely the kind of trouble he has been desperately trying to avoid.

Suddenly, the possibility of freedom doesn’t feel nearly as secure.

David Jonsson and Tom Blyth lead the cast

Jonsson arrives in the film following roles in Rye Lane, Alien: Romulus and The Long Walk.

He is joined by Birmingham-born Tom Blyth, whose previous credits include The Gilded Age, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and The Fence.

Their performances have become a major focus of the praise surrounding the movie.

One viewer described both actors as “captivating,” highlighting the nuance they brought to characters trapped inside an increasingly volatile environment.

But the film’s visual approach has also attracted attention.

‘There is not a wasted second’

Rather than allowing its short running time to slow the story down, Wasteman reportedly maintains its intensity throughout its approximately 90-minute duration.

“There is not a wasted second in its 90 minutes,” one viewer wrote, describing the movie as an “intense, violent and utterly gripping ride from the off.”

The film also incorporates phone footage alongside more traditionally cinematic widescreen photography.

For that viewer, the contrast made the experience feel more immediate and convincing, particularly in its depiction of the British prison environment.

Another audience member offered an even simpler verdict:

“Awesome. Was on the edge of my seat the whole film.”

Viewers say the tension becomes genuinely uncomfortable

Perhaps the strongest reactions have come from people describing how anxious the movie made them feel.

One viewer said Wasteman had them “nervous, suspenseful, and scared for every next scene.”

Rather than criticizing that discomfort, they considered it one of the movie’s greatest strengths.

They praised the performances and said the story exceeded expectations by creating genuine fear and unease as events unfolded.

Critics have similarly highlighted the film’s unpredictability.

One review praised its ability to hold attention from beginning to end, while another described it as a “brutal and brilliant” examination of the prison system and the cycle of violence within it.

That critic went even further, calling it “a stunning piece of British cinema.”

A theatrical release finds a much larger audience

The film had already reached cinemas earlier in the year, but its arrival on Netflix has introduced Taylor and Dee’s story to a considerably broader audience.

Its rapid climb to No. 1 in the UK suggests viewers were eager to discover what the attention was about.

The combination is straightforward: a compact 90-minute runtime, two acclaimed central performances and a prison story built around the fear that one wrong decision could destroy a man’s chance of freedom.

For viewers who have already discovered Wasteman, however, the biggest selling point appears to be its tension.

Once Taylor’s carefully controlled existence begins slipping away, the film reportedly gives its audience very little opportunity to relax.