Screwed

Sam Norwood comes home after the death of his friend Douglas and struggles to find work. To provide for his wife Danielle and their child, he accepts a job as a prison officer. His friends offer him a path into a drugs trafficking network, but he chooses the straight route to support his family.

Sam passes basic training alongside Curtis and Niall as other officers, including Rumpole, Deano, Jamie, Eddie, Charlie, and Hunington, start to shape the prison's power structure. Warden Keenan makes clear the prison is under his full authority. The environment sets the tone for later conflicts.

Hunington starts a small brawl that leads to Jamie being punched. Sam clashes with Hunington after work, and Deano defends Hunington, leaving Sam feeling isolated from his colleagues. The social dynamics begin to drive Sam's early isolations.

Sam bonds with Curtis and comes under Eddie's tutelage as he learns the job. He starts to enjoy the work, forming camaraderie with colleagues. After-work trips to the pub become a routine that strengthens their bond.

Specialist prisoner Bear is caught attempting to smuggle drugs, and Sam and Eddie detain him using methodical, by-the-book restraint. Bear injures Charlie, exposing favours and special treatment. Keenan listens to Bear, who claims Eddie used excessive force, leading to Eddie's firing and a shift in internal politics.

Sam clashes with the prison's top inmate Truman and his ally Steadman. Keenan warns Sam that pursuing the matter could trigger police scrutiny into Sam himself. Deano's and Sam's bond grows over shared disdain for Keenan, while Sam also drifts toward an indulgent, self-destructive lifestyle that strains his marriage.

The ongoing pressure—Truman learning Sam's address, Steadman in solitary, a riot drill in full gear, and the suicide of a prisoner—piles onto Sam, intensifying his PTSD after Douglas's death. His mental state deteriorates as the guard duties become more dangerous.

Truman and Steadman kill Bear after uncovering the special treatment he's receiving from Keenan. The murder exposes the corruption and sets the stage for a wider confrontation between inmates and the staff. The incident deepens Sam's distrust of the prison's leadership.

As Sam's psychological strain grows, Curtis reveals a snitch who has provided information to him. Steadman is caught with a large amount of drugs and Truman's clothes, implicating him in Bear's death. The arrest raises questions about loyalty and the coming police investigation.

Curtis is killed late at night, prompting Sam to confide in Danielle. He discovers Deano is complicit with Truman and expects to kill the informant. Sam recruits Jamie to help expose the corruption, forcing Deano's mask to slide.

During a riot, Niall is taken hostage and Sam and Jamie confront Truman and Deano but find no informant. Deano and Jamie reveal they are both bent, working with Truman to facilitate their criminal enterprise. They plan to kill Sam and frame his death on the riot.

Truman turns on Jamie and Deano as the riot ends. Sam and Jamie fight, overpower Deano, and are then detained by riot officers. The truth of Deano's betrayal is now exposed to some degree, though the situation remains dangerous.

Truman cuts a deal with Keenan to avoid repercussions for Bear's death and earns a transfer to a safer wing. In exchange, he will testify against Deano and Jamie, effectively clearing Sam as a hero. The truce marks a major turning point in who controls the prison.

Sam and Rumpole share a final cigarette outside the prison as Sam hands over his keys. Danielle gives her approval for him to leave behind the job. He walks away from the prison while his family awaits at the car, relief and resolve on his face.

Sam and his family drive away from the prison, beginning a new chapter free from the immediate danger of the facility. Sam smiles in relief as they disappear from the horizon, marking a hopeful ending for his family after the tumult.