But when things go terribly wrong, the weekend goes from romantic to nightmarish.
Was it as creepy as it appears on screen?
Maika Monroe:I loved it so much.
It was probably one of my favorite sets because every day was an insanely beautiful location.
It was the dream.
I stop by and get a latte or a snack.
That was a huge task for the crew to bring to each location.
Somewhere along the line, we’d film whenever Maika was ready.
Maika:Whenever I had the time, really.
Jake:When the lattes weren’t flowing, she was ready to rip.
That’s too funny.
It’s going to look like we are on a sound stage.
It’s too perfect.
It’s too perfect for the purposes that we need.
We ended up shooting it a little off-kilter to that so it didn’t look staged.
There’s no way.
This is so specific.
Jake, I know it’s newer territory for you.
What appealed to you both about this script and these characters?
I was like, “Is this funny?
There’s parts where this is funny, yeah?”
But there is a weird, fun, bizarre element to it."
That’s how I came on board and here we are.
Maika:Here we are.
Well, I had worked with the directors previously and had such a great time.
Jake:On “Villains,” right?
Maika:Yeah, it was “Villains.”
I had an incredible time.
They actually added a couple character traits that were personalized to me.
She’s vegetarian in it, and I’m vegetarian.
That was cute, reading it.
I’m like, “Oh, that’s nice.”
It seemed like a fun challenge.
“Why is that in here?”
Maika:Like, “Huh, that’s interesting.”
Maika:God help me.
It was helpful for those because there were long scenes [with] a lot of dialogue.
It was quite interesting a dance of sorts.
How much creative freedom did you have in exploring your characters?
Was the final take any different from the directors' plan?
Jake:It was collaborative, to be sure.
or, “Can I say this instead of that?
It still accomplishes what we want out of the scene, but it then ties back into this.”
They were also specific in saying that we have to have this moment.
It plays into that later.
Maika was helpful after I’d do a take.
It was a joy to build this thing together.
What were some of your thoughts there?
As I understand it, it is playing out as it is playing out.
It’s not a metaphor within the storytelling.
What do you both hope audiences will think or feel after seeing the film?
Jake:I hope they’re along for the ride.
I don’t know that there’s a lesson to be learned.
It’s meant to be a fun, insane, crazy, bizarre, thriller, horror movie.
There isn’t a takeaway like “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
I hope that it’s fun for them.
Maika:I agree.
Jake said it perfectly.
“Significant Other” starts streaming today, October 7, on Paramount+.
This interview was edited for clarity.
