Megan Lawless breaks down her character’s fate in Obsession, the shocking ending, and why she’s done making wishes in this interview.
WARNING: This interview contains massive spoilers for the ending and major plot points of Obsession.
The psychological horror-thriller Obsession has been taking the festival circuit by storm, leaving audiences completely breathless with its unrelenting tension and a third act that defies all expectations. Directed by Curry Barker, the film revitalizes the classic “be careful what you wish for” trope by pushing its characters into a bleak, inescapable downward spiral where literally no one is safe.
Mama’s Geeky recently sat down with breakout star Megan Lawless, who plays Sarah, the film’s undeniable emotional anchor and voice of reason. In our interview, she opened up about her immediate reaction to reading the jaw-dropping script, the intricate behind-the-scenes practical effects required to bring her character’s brutal demise to life, and what it was like building such a tight-knit dynamic with the rest of the cast before cameras even started rolling.
Megan Lawless Talks Filming Her Death Scene & More About Obsession
Mama’s Geeky: What was your reaction when you first read the script?
Megan Lawless: Oh my gosh, I immediately couldn’t put it down. And I remember thinking like I better book this because I need to be a part of it. But if I don’t, I need to watch this. Like, I can’t wait until it comes out. And I remember not knowing what was going to happen. Like, you know, you’re reading it, and you’re like, where is this going to go? And then the ending just, I mean, anyone who sees the film will like understand. Yeah, I was like, I thought for sure I knew where it was going. And I had literally no idea. You think you do. And then it just, it’s so much worse than you could ever imagine.
Mama’s Geeky: Sarah really grounds the film as the voice of reason. What did you love most about playing her?
Megan Lawless: Thank you. Yeah, I mean, I love her. I’m like, to me, she deserves all her wins. Or she deserves to win in this. And unfortunately, she doesn’t. But I feel like when I was Sarah’s kind of like me, but also like if I didn’t give a shit, what anyone thought, you know, it’s like the alter ego of me. If I were more forward and she just tells it like it is. And I love that about her. So it was kind of fun to just embody that. And, you know, they also cut my hair for this role. And I wanted to do that. My hair used to be so long. And then they’re like, we want to make you a little edgier. And I was like, do whatever you want to me. So they cut my hair. And that was really cool because I felt like I could totally sink into her and just embody her in a new way.
Mama’s Geeky: How did you navigate Sarah’s limited perspective compared to what the audience knows is happening?
Megan Lawless: I was very cognizant of how much do I know? Because obviously, as Megan, as the reader, as the actor, I know exactly what’s going on from Bear’s perspective. But Sarah has such a limited perspective. And of course, to her, it’s like, what is going on? Like, this isn’t healthy. This is not normal. And delineating like what I knew and what I didn’t know, going through the story. Yeah. And like what my perspective would be on all of this wacko stuff going on. Yeah. And then on top of that, like she really likes Bear, like she has this crush on him and really wants to be with him.
Mama’s Geeky: That sudden attack and your death scene completely catch the audience off guard. What was it like filming that?
Megan Lawless: Honestly, this was my favorite part about making the film because I had never done this. They did a cast of my face and made a doll version of me, basically, with like a doll head of me. And it looked just like me. It was so weird. But like, I loved it. I’ve never experienced that. And then what we did is like I mimed a few hits into the brick, and then they put in my doll, and they had, you know, tubes running through its nose and stuff that bled and did it with the doll. And then there was a third version of me whose face was absolutely messed up, and they did it with her. And I was like sitting there behind the monitor watching it all happen. And to me, I mean, it was really fun. It makes it less scary. I didn’t feel weird at all seeing myself in that position. It’s kind of like, wow, it looks so much like me. Sick. It was just mind-blowing.
Mama’s Geeky: The movie proves that no one gets a happy ending. I don’t think I would even make a wish.
Megan Lawless: People keep asking me what I would wish for. Nothing. Nada. Nope. I’m good.
Watch the full video interview for more behind-the-scenes secrets from the set of Obsession.
