New Releases · Review ·
Animol
Ashley Walters' debut is a tense, claustrophobic youth-prison drama carried by a standout Tut Nyuot, with striking cinematography and sound. Critics praise its performances and craft; the reservations are a familiar plot, a few loose ends and a hopeful ending that not everyone buys.
Best for fans of British social drama and ensemble acting. A good bet if you like tension and a strong lead over surprises.
Dir. Ashley Walters · 2026 · about 90 min · in UK cinemas 30 October
The setup
Troy (Tut Nyuot) is a teenager arriving at a young offender institution, newly arrested and out of his depth, in a film written by Nick Love and directed by Ashley Walters, the actor best known for Top Boy and Adolescence. Before he has even reached his wing, a more established inmate, Dion (Sekou Diaby), has found a use for him: carry something in, or else. Troy is placed in a cell with a volatile cellmate, Mason (Ryan Dean), and a quieter bond starts with Krystian (Vladyslav Baliuk), another newcomer. Stephen Graham plays Claypole, a welfare officer. The film premiered in the Perspectives section of the Berlin Film Festival in February and has since played the BFI London Film Festival.
This brilliant British film cares deeply about making us care for Troy and Krystian
Stephen A Russell, Time Out
What works
Critics start with Nyuot. Sight and Sound's Leila Latif calls his Troy a standout, and Liam O'Dell praises an understated performance with real emotional depth. Several reviews also single out the supporting work from Diaby and Graham, and the way Walters, in his first feature, looks closely at faces.
Then the look and sound. Latif credits Tasha Back's cinematography with a striking visual texture, Screen Daily describes an oppressive, echoing soundscape and a tightly controlled palette, and O'Dell reads the colours as signals: danger, privacy, introspection. Time Out finds that the writing layers unspoken history into the characters, so a familiar prison-drama set-up feels fresh. Latif adds that moments of childlike wonder soften the menace.
What doesn't
This is a crowded genre, and some critics feel it. Loud and Clear calls the plot largely predictable, says some characters serve the message more than they feel real, and finds Troy's mother underdeveloped and the ending too hopeful to fully convince. Screen Daily finds the film's treatment of homophobia less than subtle, notes that Graham's welfare officer is missing for much of the middle stretch, and warns that the heavy, drill-influenced slang may be hard to follow. O'Dell would have liked some character arcs resolved.
Even so, no review we found is negative. The doubts are about originality and loose ends, not about the film's craft or its lead.
Is this for you?
Tick what sounds like you. It is a rough guide, not a verdict.
Who it's for
Viewers who like British social drama, ensemble pieces carried by young actors, and debut features with a clear visual idea. If you want a fresh take on the prison film or a tidy ending, the more cautious reviews suggest lowering your expectations on those points. The reviews praise its intensity more than its originality, which is why the score sits at four rather than higher.
Where to watch
It is a cinema release. In the UK it opens on 30 October, according to Time Out's October listings and Liam O'Dell's review. Other countries may differ, and availability varies by country, so check your local cinema listings.