Reel Interview: Emma Higgins and Herman Tømmeraas Talk Pop Star Personas and Being Held Hostage in Sweetness

A psychological thriller about an obsessed fan who kidnaps a pop star? Say less! Sweetness is dark and twisted in all the best ways. Director Emma Higgins and star Herman Tømmeraas sat down with Reel Talk and Reviews to talk about the film, playing a drug addicted pop star, and being held hostage.

The film stars Kate Hallet as Rylee, a young teen with a dark obsession with pop star Payton Adler. “I love teen girl stories,” writer and director Higgins says. “I’m a fangirl, so I wanted to give a different side of the fan story. I just love the character study of a fandom.”

There are two very complex sides of Payton that Tømmeraas portrays; embodying both a pop sensation and struggling drug addict. “Emma gave me a book that I read, preparing me for playing an addict,” Tømmeraas said about preparing for the role. “And Kate (Hallett) pulled it off by being sweet and terrifying at the same time.”

After Hallett’s character, Rylee, discovers that Payton isn’t the pop star she always dreamed about, she vows to “help” him with his drug addiction by holding him hostage in her basement. “On set, I spent most of my time in chains and the walls were all pictures of me,” Tømmeraas says. “So it was a very easy set to imagine being in that position.”

Being a film that revolves around a pop star, music is obviously a large part of the thrill. The film offers original songs, a great soundtrack, and even a concert sequence performed by Tømmeraas himself. “When we casted Herman, it changed the sound,” Emma says. “He’s in these sparkly tops, so the songs needed a little sparkle. So we had to find that sound.”

“We had certain artists visually in mind,” Tømmeraas said about creating his pop star persona. “The darker looks were kind of like Yungblud. But I’m wearing crop tops and glitter, so it made sense to move closer to Harry Styles. Then the vibe of My Chemical Romance was an inspiration there, too.” While the crew took inspiration from many singers we know and love today, Tømmeraas definitely gave us an original twist, creating his own authentic pop star for the film.

Sweetness captures the true essence of being a fangirl with a dark obsession. Like any good psychological thriller, the ending left us just as addicted and mind blown! “Everytime I thought I knew where it was going, it took a full-on turn. And that didn’t stop happening, even through the end,” Tømmeraas says about his reaction to the script. “And I loved it, I love the ending so much.”

When asked about writing that jaw-dropping ending, Higgins teased, “No spoilers, but it had to end that way. It’s the only way.”

Sweetness is now available to buy or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV!