Cal McMau’s Wasteman is a prison thriller movie that will have you on the edge of your seats in what is easily one of the tensest experiences you’ll have at the cinema. For a directorial debut, McMau struck gold, especially with his two lead actors: David Jonsson and Tom Blyth. 

Wasteman follows Taylor (David Jonsson), who’s eyeing a release and a fresh start, but by the arrival of his new cellmate, Dee (Tom Blyth), it begins to jeopardise his chances of becoming a free man.

Nexus Point News spoke with both actors and discussed how it was filming that revolting throw-up scene, David Jonsson’s original audition, Tom Blyth’s sadistic portrayal and more. 

I just want to say, firstly, fantastic movie—great performances from the both of you. My first question is for Tom. We’ve seen you play a soon-to-be tyrant as Coriolanus Snow, who was terrifying, but Dee is kind of like a demon. How was it portraying such a dark character, and what did you learn about yourself during this process?

Tom Blyth: I don’t wanna be like Dee for a start. That’s the short answer, yeah. I like that you said he’s like a demon. He’s like the demon on Taylor’s shoulder, trying to pull him into the shadows, and I think ultimately it’s about his own—like Dee’s own—trauma, the fact that he comes with it. We never really talk about it in the film, but I think it’s very present. You can see there’s a backstory there that is full of hurt and full of pain. And he’s running away from it, and in doing that he’s causing pain to other people all the time. There’s that kind of cliché phrase, but I think it’s so true: hurt people hurt people, right? Unless you deal with your hurt… And so yeah, I think what I learned is to deal with my hurt, or at least try to, so that I don’t perpetuate that on other people.

Yeah. And a question for the both of you: from Toronto to London, how’s it been finally getting to show this movie to a select audience and finally discuss it?

David Jonsson: Hey man, it’s a homecoming. It feels so good. First of all, you know, making movies is hard. It’s so nice that this little movie that we really care about is kind of getting its audience. But especially here… and Toronto was amazing, by the way. We had the best time, such a wonderful response that people really, really came through. But now this feels like home, so this is fun.

And David, I’ve heard that this was your first audition. So how does it feel coming back to Wasteman, getting an executive producer title on it—how has that been for you?

David Jonsson: I always say I think things happen at the right time. I wouldn’t have been able to play Taylor then. It’s like this is when I’m meant to be doing it. And not just that, but also carving out the character in a way that’s not just as an actor but also as a producer. It means that I’m able to really have some effect. And honestly, we couldn’t do this without Cal [McMau] being where he is, Sophia Gibber, our wonderful producer, being where she is, and wonderful Tom. It couldn’t have been better. This is what this is—this feels right.

And then another question for the both of you. There’s a scene in the film that involves you two and vomit, and it’s a very hard scene to watch, but I want to know how it was filming that scene on the day.

David Jonsson: That was my favorite thing. That was— that’s what I loved.

Tom Blyth: It was not his favorite thing. I did not like it. That was rough, actually—it was a rough day, specifically for you. We actually did throughout the film, a lot of one-take wonders. Not out of choice, but just because we didn’t have the time. We were up against the clock all the time, which I think served the film in the end because it made this pressure cooker of a style. But so many scenes that we would have loved loads of time on ended up becoming one take and forced us to really show up every time. Except that one, which we seemed to do over and over and over again to get it right visually for Cal. And we thought we’d wrapped the scene, and he went and got changed, got out of his clothes, and started washing his face. Then Cal rewatched it on the monitor and went, “Oh man, it’s not quite right—visually something was off.” And he tiptoed up to David’s little trailer and knocked on the door and was like, “I’m so sorry, but can you do it one more time?” And David, being just like the ultimate professional that he is, was just like, “Whatever you need,” and put on the sweaty, sicky jumper again, and we just did it a few more times. Yeah, so that was hard for you.

REVIEW: ‘Wasteman’ Is A Visceral, Brutal Exploration Of Toxic Masculinity Inside A British Prison

Wasteman is now available on digital platforms.

This interview has been edited for clarity.