Curry Barker’s horror film Obsession has drawn attention for its increasingly intense second half, especially the brutal death of Sarah, played by Megan Lawless. In the film, Bear’s wish for Nikki to become a different person spirals further out of control, leading to Sarah’s grisly fate during a confrontation in which Wish Nikki crashes into the scene and violently attacks her. The sequence has become one of the film’s most talked-about moments, both for its shock value and for the practical effects used to create it.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lawless described Sarah’s death scene as one of her favorite days on set, calling it an “iconic” exit for the character. She said the production gave the sequence just two takes to get right, and that the scene relied on a mix of performance, stunt coordination, and practical effects. According to Lawless, Nikki’s actor, Inde Navarette, wore a helmeted wig to break through glass, while Lawless had to physically slam her own head against brick as Navarette mimed the repeated impacts. The crew later replaced Lawless with a doll to finish the most graphic part of the scene, including the close-up of Sarah’s damaged face.
Lawless said the whole sequence had a strange blend of seriousness and absurdity, but everyone involved committed fully to the moment. She added that she felt honored to be part of such a memorable horror death scene, one she expects fans to remember. At Obsession’s Toronto International Film Festival screening, Lawless was surprised when the audience reacted to Sarah’s death with cheering, though she said she understood that response as part of horror fandom’s enthusiasm for shocking moments.
The interview also touched on the emotional dynamics between Sarah, Bear, and Nikki. Lawless said she and Bear actor Michael Johnston both believed the characters might have had a meaningful connection under different circumstances. Even so, she pushed back against the idea that Sarah was a villain or that she would have made a move while Bear and Nikki were still together. She also said Sarah kissing Bear at the party would have gone against everything the character believes in.
The attention around Sarah’s fate has helped fuel discussion about Obsession online, with viewers debating the character relationships and the film’s escalating violence. Lawless’s comments offer a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the movie’s most infamous scenes was staged and why it resonated so strongly with audiences.
