The film begins in darkness. We hear the panicked aftermath of a knife crime, raised voices and a siren, but see nothing. Then we are looking at Troy, wide-eyed in the back of a police van, heading for a young offender institution on remand and utterly unprepared for what is waiting for him.
Animol is the first feature directed by Ashley Walters, the Top Boy and Adolescence star, from a script by Nick Love. It won the international critics’ prize at Berlin, and it is in UK cinemas now as one of the most assured British debuts of the year.
Animol finds tenderness in the hardest place imaginable, and never lets you look away from either.
Movie at a Glance
- UK release: In cinemas from Friday 30 October 2026
- US release: No US date confirmed yet
- Distributor: Studiocanal
- Director: Ashley Walters
- Writer: Nick Love
- Starring: Tut Nyuot, Vladyslav Baliuk, Stephen Graham, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Sekou Diaby and Ryan Dean
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- Certificate: 15 (UK)
- Genre: Prison drama
- Awards: FIPRESCI Prize, Berlin 2026
Viewer Match
- Best for: Fans of Top Boy, Starred Up and Scum, and anyone who follows bold new British film-making.
- Maybe skip if: You find on-screen violence and bullying hard to sit through.
- Mood and pace: Tense, claustrophobic and propulsive, with quiet moments of real warmth.
- Cinema or streaming? See it in a cinema: the pressure-cooker atmosphere is built for a big screen.
- Spoiler level: Spoiler-free: we only go as far as Troy’s first days inside.
Survival on the Inside
Tut Nyuot plays Troy, who arrives at the institution alongside Krystian (Vladyslav Baliuk), a gentle Polish lad whose own crime is almost absurdly minor. Troy is quickly pulled into the orbit of Dion (Sekou Diaby), who runs the wing through a constant performance of menace, while his volatile cellmate Mason (Ryan Dean) is a threat of a different, more unpredictable kind.
Love’s script is sharp on how power works inside. Phones and drugs arrive by drone, pool cues become weapons, and respect has to be earned and defended every hour of the day. But the most dangerous currency of all turns out to be secrets, and the bond between Troy and Krystian, which hints at something more than friendship, becomes the thing that could destroy them both.
A Remarkable Young Lead
Nyuot is extraordinary, capturing a decent kid trying to bury his softness under the swagger the place demands. Baliuk is touching as Krystian, and Diaby makes Dion quietly terrifying. Sharon Duncan-Brewster brings real pain to her scenes as Troy’s mother, whose visits are met with cold, simmering resentment. Stephen Graham, as a youth worker trying to reach the boys, is warm and committed, though his role sometimes feels more like a message than a man.
A Director Who Knows This World
Walters directs with energy and confidence. Tasha Back’s cinematography leans into a deliberately fuzzy, murky look that suits the setting, and Swindle’s edgy score keeps the tension high. The film stumbles a little in its final stretch, where a big, cathartic scene asks you to believe in a neater kind of redemption than everything before it has earned. But its belief that these boys are worth saving is what sets it apart from bleaker prison films.
A Big Week for British Film
Animol leads a strong week for new British films in UK cinemas. For another powerful home-grown story about young lives on the edge, read our All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea Super Review, and see what opened last Friday in our Weekly Cinema Pack.
Spoiler-Free Verdict
Animol is a tense, empathetic and confidently directed prison drama, with a breakthrough performance from Tut Nyuot. Its ending is a little too neat, but this is a superb start to Ashley Walters’ career behind the camera.
- Performances: 8.5/10
- Direction: 8/10
- Screenplay: 7.5/10
- Score: 8/10
- Cinematography: 7.5/10
- Entertainment Value: 8/10
- Overall score: 8/10
Star rating: 4/5
Verdict badge: Worth Seeing
One-line verdict: One of the best British debuts of the year, and a name to remember in Tut Nyuot.
Watch the Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for Ashley Walters’ debut.
Which British prison drama has stayed with you the longest? Share your spoiler-free picks.