Obsession star Cooper Tomlinson knew the horror movie was something special far before audiences did. Tomlinson spoke with ComingSoon’s Tyler Treese about the film’s remarkable success, his collaborations with writer-director Curry Barker, and teased his new movie with Barker. Obsession is now available on Digital and arrives on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on July 14.
“After breaking the mysterious ‘One Wish Willow’ to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price,” says the official synopsis.
Tyler Treese: Cooper, congrats on Obsession. The reception and the box office hold for this film have just been remarkable. There’s really nothing quite like it. You have to go back to The Blair Witch Project for any comparison, and even that’s different. When did it hit you that this was really becoming a phenomenon, and even more than just this breakout hit for you?
Cooper Tomlinson: I think it just goes back to when the script was written and filming. It was a very special time on set, very magical. We were pulling off things that I don’t think a lot of other people could pull off, especially with that budget. We were like, “There’s something here, and it’s going to be very interesting to see how people react to this.” So it’s been a ride.
You and Curry Barker made some hysterical YouTube sketches and some great short films, Milk & Cereal being one I love. Did doing a film like Obsession feel different in any way, or was it still just working with your friend and creative partner?
Not at all. It really just felt like working with Curry. We had a nicer camera, a few more people, and an organized schedule, but going to the billion-dollar scene, that was just me in front of the camera, him behind it saying, “Hey, try this. Let’s do this. Let’s keep rolling.” It felt like we were shooting a sketch, and I think that was really great. That’s what made it that much more special. There wasn’t much pressure on it.
I want to ask you about that billion-dollar scene. That wish scene is just so hysterical. How was it having all that money falling down on you? What was filming actually like?
Well, I wish there was an actual billion dollars falling on me. Obviously, a lot was VFX, so it was actually very awkward to act like I’m getting hit by a billion dollars. We had some rubber and some paper being thrown at me or dropped on me, but it was a little challenging. Curry’s just behind the camera laughing. He’s like, “It looks so stupid,” but he obviously always makes it look good. That’s where I’m like, “Okay, I just have to trust the director here and the editor.”
I really liked all the dark humor in Obsession. I felt bad during my screening because I was the only one laughing at some points, but there’s clearly a sense of humor that balances out the legitimate scares. How was it working with Curry and, especially, the new collaborators to really nail that tone? Obviously, you and Curry go way back, so you know exactly what he wants, but how was it finding that tone with everyone else?
It was honestly pretty simple. What’s great is you’ll see we have a lot of our recurring guest stars pop up in the movie. You’ve got Haley Fitzgerald, Anthony Pavone, Malcolm Kelner. They all kind of filled the space, which was cool, and they know what we like to do.
But Inde, Michael, and Megan get it. They’re so good. It was very easy. The bar scene was a lot of fun. There was a lot of camaraderie, comedy, and timing to that. Same with the party scene. It was so much fun. It was great.
A cool side product of Obsession becoming such a hit is that a lot of people are revisiting you and Curry’s past work. How has it been seeing people find these great sketches, Milk & Cereal, and these other works? A whole new audience has been opened up to them.
It’s been great. I think we’ve gotten over 100 or 200 million views in the last month on our channels alone. It’s just been crazy. A million new people have watched Milk & Cereal and all our other shorts, which is so cool because we put a lot of work into those. I’m glad people are finding them.
It’s fun to see people who still don’t realize that we did Obsession figuring that out, then going to see the movie and commenting about it. It’s cool. They’re great. They’re the reason this is happening.
I want to ask you about Michael Johnston because your characters, Bear and Ian, really feel like friends. How was it working with Michael to establish that camaraderie between them? It feels very real. I’ve had relationships where I’m one or the other in that dynamic. It’s a fun balance.
Cooper Tomlinson: Yeah, it was great. Really easy. Michael’s just fun. He’s a bro. When he got cast, I made sure to get his number immediately. We have game nights together. We go work out at the gym together, get lunch, and do whatever we could to become better friends and get to know each other. Great relationship. I’m super glad to have him.
You’ve got to tell me about the game nights. What games are you playing?
A lot of Monopoly Deal at the time, which can get very chaotic.
You’re obviously a very creative guy. You’re writing and doing all this stuff. Do you also want to be directing features down the line, or what’s kind of your goal?
Yeah, I think down the line. I’ve got a vision for a few things. It’s so cool to watch Curry do his thing. He’s thinking about 20 more things than I am, but that’s great to sit back and do it with him. I direct some of the sketches and everything. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens. I just love acting, writing, and being there, supporting and helping out.
I have to ask you about Inde Navarrette. She’s getting all her flowers, which are so well deserved. She can, on a dime, go from this bubbly personality to being downright menacing and very uncomfortable. How was it like seeing that on set? That had to be wild to see.
It was honestly normal. We were just having so much fun. It was so unserious. They’d call cut, and we’d just have a laugh. But she knows how to lock in. I wish she and I had more scenes together. It’s through Bear’s POV, so we don’t. But that’s one thing I wish about the movie.
You just wrapped Anything But Ghsots. You wrote that with Curry. What kind of tone can we expect from that? Is it going to be a bit more humorous, or what’s the tone like?
It’s going to be a little more humorous. I won’t give too much away, but I really like Widow’s Bay right now, and I think there’s a similar tone to that.
Thanks to Cooper Tomlinson for taking the time to talk about Obsession.
