Cooper Tomlinson, the Woodinville actor, writer, and co-star of the year’s breakout horror hit “Obsession,” always wished he could make movies. However, his wish didn’t come true by snapping a magic stick — it came from years of pursuing his passion with dedication and resilience.
Inspired by his theater teacher at Woodinville High School, Josh Butchart, Tomlinson began making short films before landing a role in the locally shot and set 2019 feature “Aberdeen.” That was the last film he made in the Pacific Northwest before heading to Los Angeles to actively pursue filmmaking. There, he met his now-collaborator and close friend Curry Barker. The duo started by creating shorts and sketches for their YouTube channel, “that’s a bad idea,” before producing their first full horror film, “Milk & Serial.” But they had yet to make one for theaters.
Now they’ve done so — and alongside the recent “Backrooms,” they’ve become part of a new generation of horror filmmakers making a major splash at the box office. Tomlinson, though, never expected “Obsession” to become such a phenomenon. “This was literally just like making a little movie in our backyard, in a way,” he said.
Taking the film, which Barker wrote and directed, from their backyard to the big screen has paid off handsomely. Made for a reported $750,000 budget before being acquired by Focus Features, “Obsession” has passed the $400 million mark in global ticket sales. The supernatural thriller follows a young man whose wish for his crush to love him comes true after breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” — only to discover that getting exactly what he wanted carries terrifying consequences.
Tomlinson feels the film speaks to a new generation of horror fans like he once was. “Growing up, us kids were just trying to get into the rated-R scary movie. I’m sure all the kids are trying to get into ‘Obsession’ right now,” he said. His own cinema education began early — his first job was at AMC Woodinville, where he started at 15 to save money for Los Angeles. “I just got to go into the movies all the time,” he recalled.
Tomlinson was also invited back home to introduce a screening at SIFF Cinema Downtown in May when “Obsession” played as part of the Seattle International Film Festival. It was a full-circle moment after years of watching films there with his dad. “I grew up going to that theater. I remember seeing ‘It: Chapter 1,’ ‘Star Trek,’ and ‘Star Wars’ with my dad,” he said. Close friends and former teachers showed up, making the night especially rewarding. “I was such a troublemaker in their classes, just a class clown. It was a very rewarding experience to sit there.”
As for his next project, Tomlinson has already shot another horror film with Barker titled “Anything but Ghosts,” which takes place in the same universe as “Obsession” and is set for release sometime in 2027. The upcoming film brought him closer to home — shooting in Vancouver, B.C. — and he’d love to film something in Seattle next. “I’d love to come to Seattle and shoot something when the weather is good, or if the script calls for bad weather,” he said. “If there is a screening of ‘Anything but Ghosts’ at SIFF, I plan to bring Curry. He’s never been to Seattle, so we both have to come next time.”
Tomlinson’s journey from Woodinville classrooms to Hollywood success shows the power of persistence. What started as a high school dream has become a thriving career in one of cinema’s most exciting genres. With “Obsession” still resonating and new projects on the horizon, fans can expect more thrills — and perhaps more local connections — from this rising talent.
