PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I recently watched this movie called The Toll, and let me tell you… It was freaking scary. I’m so excited for the film to be released so I can talk about it with other people because it’s been on my mind for weeks. You’ll have to watch it and then let me know what you think. I was lucky enough to speak to the stars of the film, Max Topplin and Jordan Hayes, and we discussed what they liked about the project, what’s up next, and of course, horror movies.
PopHorror: I loved the movie so much. It takes a lot to terrify me, and I found it very scary. I grew up in Small Town, Ohio, where country roads and back roads are everywhere, and this was just very real to me. So I’m super excited to talk to you both about it.
Max Topplin: Awesome! We’re excited to talk to you. I’m glad you liked it, Tiffany. That’s great!
PopHorror: What intrigued you guys about the film and made you want to be a part of it?
Max Topplin: I think that when it first came across our desk, we just… what a thrill ride! Right from the first line. What a thrill ride! But most importantly, this was a story that we thought the world could relate to. There are so many themes at play that are truly global, and one of which is, our trust that we put into technology. The trust that we put into rideshare, food delivery, staying in people’s houses, renting people’s cars… All of these things that we just blindly walk into. I love them, but let’s talk about it, and let’s talk about it over a horror movie. We were like, “Okay. I think we’re onto something there. Or the writers were onto something. Let’s pursue.”
PopHorror: Yeah. You’re putting your entire life into someone’s hands when you’re getting into their car for them to take you wherever. Then they know where you’re coming from and where you’re going. You’re right, we do put a lot of trust in that. And the way that the world has been lately with deliveries and all that, it can be scary sometimes.
Max Topplin: Totally! You watch one too many espionage TV shows, you order your food, and you’re like, “Wait a second. I feel funny.” You can convince yourself, you know?
PopHorror: I always say, “This is how horror movies start.” I don’t see a ton of horror on your resumes. Were you fans before making the film?
Jordan Hayes: I’ve done a lot of genre stuff so a lot of sci-fi. I’ve done a couple horror films. But yeah, I think that, like Max said, we just as producers, we really look for films and scripts that are saying something, or there’s a comment on some sort of social injustice or social phenomenon that’s going on in the world. The exciting thing about horror is you can stir a conversation, you can start a conversation while still entertaining an audience. And it’s a really great medium to kind of sneak in some kind of a social message. That was a big thing for us.
PopHorror: What was your favorite part of filming?
Max Topplin: Does the catering not count? I think for me, my favorite part is just seeing something from seed all the way through to flower. That is what excites me more than anything in the world. So seeing this the first time it came across our desk to signing the deal with the distributor, that is like… I haven’t given birth personally, but that feels like it’s we’re releasing something into the world. So for me, that feeling which you get while you’re making it, knowing the final outcome and being excited about the final outcome, that’s what I get off on, I’d say.
PopHorror: If you weren’t acting, what do you think you’d be doing?
Jordan Hayes: Oh my gosh. Honestly, I would probably try and be pursuing some kind of sports broadcasting or sports writing.
Max Topplin: I’ve never done anything else. I’ll be perfectly honest, Tiffany. I started when I was six-years-old, and I’ve always just wanted to tell stories, so if it wasn’t acting, it would be producing. If it wasn’t producing, it would be photography. If it wasn’t photography, it would be whatever spoken word. Whatever it is, I just want to tell stories, so I feel like any career where you can really tell a story and spark a conversation, I want to be involved in.
PopHorror: Any way to channel that creativity. What is up next for you both?
Jordan Hayes: We actually just finished two projects. We just finished a feature film called Fixation. Max and I both produced that. We have small cameos in it, but we’re mostly just producers. And that is a psychological thriller starring Maddie Hasson from Impulse and Genesis Rodriguez from Umbrella Academy. It’s directed by a wonderful, amazing, amazing director from LA named Mercedes Bryce Morgan. We are in post-production on that right now, and we’re very, very excited about that. We’re hoping, depending on what happens with film festivals in the fall, hopefully, it will be coming out around then. And then we also finished a digital series which was a 6×10 for CBC, which is a broadcaster here in Canada. Another really cool female-driven series that’s about a woman’s journey with mental health. That’s called Something Undone and it’s directed by Nicole Dorsey. It’s absolutely wonderful and a really cool, kind of short-format series.
Max Topplin: And pretty terrifying too. It’s a slow burn, but the psychological thriller aspect of that… This woman in this old Victorian home, going home after her mother passes away, and going through much of her old belongings, finds these secrets that she probably should not know. So it’s a really exciting genre television piece, and hopefully, it will be available in the states soon.
PopHorror: That’s exciting! I’m excited to see what you guys have coming up because it takes a lot to make me feel uncomfortable. It doesn’t happen that often. I can’t wait to see what’s next. One last question for you both. What’s your favorite scary movie?
Jordan Hayes: My favorite scary movie is The Strangers.
Max Topplin: I’m going to go with The Descent.
PopHorror: Both great choices!
Thank you so much, Max and Jordan, for taking the time to speak with us. Be sure to catch The Toll when it opens in theaters, On Demand and Digital on Friday, March 26, 2021.
