Exclusive: Handmaid's Tale star talks "completely bonkers" new Saw movie Spiral

The Handmaid's Tale star Max Minghella is used to some pretty dark things in Gilead, but even he wasn't prepared to enter the world of Saw.

Minghella plays rookie detective William Schenk who teams up with Chris Rock's brash detective to investigate a grisly series of murders in Spiral: From the Book of Saw. Even as a fan of the series, he didn't know what to expect when reading the script.

"I had no idea when I first read the script what it was going to be about, and what the character was, or anything. It was a total cold read and fascination," he told Digital Spy.

"I never thought that I would be in a Saw movie, I'll tell you that much. I definitely was a huge fan. I've always loved Saw II. It's got an amazing couple of twists. I think Darren [Lynn Bousman] really invented the aesthetic of Saw movies with that film."

Lionsgate

Bousman returned to the Saw series for Spiral, marking his first Saw movie as director since Saw IV. For Minghella, it proved to be a "really smart decision" from the producers to bring him back, alongside Jigsaw writers Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger.

"I think one of the successful parts of the movie is that it's a marriage of the old guard and something very fresh," he explained.

"Its a rollercoaster ride of a movie. It's completely bonkers... It's really wild. It's a film where you can sort of check your brain at the door – not in a bad way. You can just relax, and you know you're not going to be confused by anything.

"It's thrilling. It's scary. It's funny. It's sometimes emotional. It's everything you want from a theatrical experience."

One thing that helped Spiral was that Minghella had never met Chris Rock before they worked together on the movie, so the idea of them just meeting for the first time in the movie and getting to know each other reflected real life.

Lionsgate

"They actually find a rhythm together as partners by almost the end of their first day. There's a bonding moment – I'm nervous about giving it away – where we both sort of pat each other on the back, and go, 'Good work today'," he continued.

"That wasn't in the script. It just sort of happened, because we found a good rapport, and I'm very grateful for it. I think it makes the story itself, and where it goes, much more satisfying."

Spiral is still a Saw movie though, so it's not just about two detectives bonding as they get to know each other. There's a gruesome case to solve and as Saw fans know, there will be a twist.

Did Minghella guess where it was going when he read the script? "I definitely didn't guess how it would be structured. I'll say that much," he teased.

Lionsgate

Minghella's co-star Marisol Nichols also spoke to Digital Spy about how her role as Captain Angie Garza was originally written for a man, while Rock revealed he wanted to bring more classic Saw traps back.

Spiral: From the Book of Saw is released in US cinemas on May 14 and UK cinemas on May 17.

Saw

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Saw 2

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Saw III - Extreme Edition

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Saw IV - Extreme Edition

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£3.99

Saw V - Extreme Edition

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£3.99

Saw VI - Extreme Edition

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£3.99

Saw VII - The Final Chapter

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Jigsaw

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