Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with The Voyeurs’ Ben Hardy & Justice Smith

Nothing is as it seems in Amazon Prime’s The Voyeurs. Written and directed by Michael Mohan, the erotic thriller will have audiences questioning whether or not it’s okay to watch.

When Pippa (Sydney Sweeney) and Thomas (Justice Smith) move into their dream apartment, they notice that their windows look directly into the apartment opposite—inviting them to witness the volatile relationship of the attractive couple across the street. But when they attempt to anonymously intercede in their lives, they unwittingly set in motion a chain of events that will lead to disaster.

Pop Culturalist spoke with stars Ben Hardy and Justice Smith about The Voyeurs, their characters, and the important themes the film tackles.

PC: You’ve both done it all throughout your careers. What was it about this script and character that stood out to each of you? Ben, do you want to start?
Ben: Without giving too much away, there are a lot of twists and turns. I was reading the script, and I was like, “This is amazing. This is sexy.” It’s an erotic thriller. I haven’t seen anything like this. I’ve seen movies from the ’90s, but nothing recently. I was like, “I love this. I want to be a part of this.”

One of the many twists and turns actually put me off. I was like, “Oh no. This doesn’t make any sense.” Then, of course, things start to reveal themselves. I’m speaking very vaguely.

Justice: I know what you’re talking about.

Ben: It was a very exciting script. My character, Seb, crosses the line in terms of how he is with women. I thought it’d be interesting to play that guy.

Justice: I play Thomas. He’s a musician who has retired his dreams to the more practical realm of commercial jingles. He’s happily in love with his longtime girlfriend, Pippa, and they’ve taken this next step moving into this apartment together. He’s ready to settle down. He’s ready to embark on adulthood, but she’s still drawn in by the fancies of youth.

I know a lot of musicians. I like playing them because they have a special way of being around the world. I also loved the idea of comparison. Thomas compares himself a lot to the neighbors, especially Seb. He brings out a lot of Thomas’ insecurities about his inability to provide for his girlfriend. I thought that was an interesting concept—this idea of not fulfilling his musical dreams, not fulfilling his relationship dreams, and never being enough. I thought that would be interesting to play.

PC: Justice, as the film progresses, Thomas and Pippa have opposing views on whether it’s okay to watch. How did you and Sydney prepared to tackle the emotional toll that takes on their relationship?
Justice: Syd and I just approached every day with a blank slate and played off of what the other person was giving. We both had a strong idea about the arc of the film, and, of course, Michael was there. Michael was there to guide us throughout that and made sure that we were hitting the points on the day. It was really about trusting each other and letting go.

PC: Ben, your character, in particular, exemplifies what this film is about. We see a curated version of Seb that he presents to Thomas and Pippa and then his authentic self towards the latter half of the film. How did you prepare to tackle that juxtaposition?
Ben: A lot of my preparation was discerning what was real Seb and what was the version he was trying to present, and where those lines blurred. It was about figuring out what was artificial and what was real. A lot of it did stem from himself—that’s what I chose to play anyway, but just heightened and brought out on a much bigger scale. I suppose in a similar way that on social media, people present a version of themselves that maybe is what they’d like to be or what they think is glamorous and sexy. In Seb’s mind, he was presenting something which was much more than who he is, but maybe on a deep, dark level who he wishes he was.

Make sure to follow Ben (Twitter/Instagram) and Justice (Twitter/Instagram). Watch The Voyeurs on Amazon Prime today.