Michael Johnston (Bear)'s thoughts on the "What's so bad about being with me?" scene
Question:
What did you think of the scene where Nikki, in her sleep, says to kill her, and then you say, “What’s so bad about being with me?”
Michael Johnston:
There were a lot of conversations about that scene. For sure, that is one of the darkest scenes in the movie, in a way. And that’s so cool, because there’s no blood or gore. It’s just so tragic. I think that scene really kind of shows you it’s a perfect example of the worst thing that could happen when you’re living for your deepest desires and impulsively choosing things you think would make you feel good, instead of facing up to your own issues.
I don’t think I really ever played Bear as a guy who wanted to hurt Nikki. I feel like, in some ways, he really does deeply care for her, but he just can’t look past his own desires. He’s just in so much pain, and he’s so lonely. I think that scene is incredibly upsetting. I really do. And I didn’t realize how upsetting that scene was until I watched it in the theater, because in the moment, I was just focused on what Bear was going through. He just wanted to hold on to this thing. He wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. But sometimes we make mistakes or choices that are capable of deeply hurting other people, and I think that’s what this movie was trying to explore.
If these things didn’t happen, it wouldn’t be a horror movie, it wouldn’t be so controversial, right? It’s up to people. It’s up to the audience to decide how they feel about it, which is great. I can say it’s not on me, it’s up to you. (Laughs)