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EXCLUSIVE | ‘Obsession’ star Darin Toonder reveals why he knew the film would be a hit even before reading the script

As ‘Obsession’ continues its remarkable box-office run, Darin Toonder tells MEAWW why he trusted Curry Barker's vision from the start

'Obsession' has emerged as one of the year's most surprising breakout hits. Since its theatrical release on May 15, the film has captivated audiences with its gripping and suspenseful storyline.

The movie follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a music store employee who purchases a supernatural, reality-bending artifact in hopes of making his longtime friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette) fall in love with him. However, his wish unleashes a series of terrifying and unexpected consequences that threaten both of their lives.

As 'Obsession' continues to generate buzz, MEAWW entertainment reporter Katelyn O'Shaughnessy sat down with one of the film's stars, Darin Toonder, for an exclusive interview. Known for his work in 'General Hospital,' 'Bel-Air,' and 'Paradise', Toonder reflected on why he believed the project would be a success even before reading the script and shared his experience watching rising filmmaker Curry Barker bring the story to life.

Toonder plays Harry, a quirky and funny stoner-hippie character working at the bizarre antique shop where the supernatural artifact, One Wish Willow, is kept. His role brings in a bit of comedic relief in what otherwise signals to be a spine-chilling horror feature with a hint of ominous in each frame.

"Before I met Curry [Barker] at the callback, I heard about his short, 'The Chair', it was called," Toonder recalled. "And I watched the short and I was like, 'Damn, this is a good looking short. I could see why he won some awards. And I was really impressed with how it looked. So, it got me excited about the project without even reading the whole script or knowing exactly what it was completely about. You could tell it was a low budget setting. You know, not to a point, where it's like horrible but I was like, 'This is definitely one of those under a million dollar shoots.''' 

That low budget didn't dent 'Obsessions' chances as the horror-thriller raked in the moolah. After it was made on an estimated budget of $750,000, the film, at the time of writing, has grossed over $171M worldwide. Labeled as a critical and commercial success, the film's critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads, "Taking an icky conceit and twisting it to deviously crowd-pleasing ends, Obsession is dauntingly disturbing while also skilfully amusing and thrilling."

Barker's direction was widely praised, and adding to it was Toonder's heartwarming take on how the director looked well beyond his age. "Watching him work. I think he was 42 instead of 24. I think he was 24 at the time when we shot it because we shot that in November of 2024 and it just came out now in May 2026. You could tell that he's been doing this quite some time and shooting a lot, and walking around again, like he's a 20-year veteran at 24. So it was a great time." And for those who still haven't watched 'Obsession', run to your nearest cinemas NOW!