Dakota Fanning’s Vicious Director Told Me The Scene That Had Him Gagging Off-Screen ‘Because It Felt So Real’

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet streamed Vicious via Paramount+ subscription, so be warned, and don’t answer the door!

I’m always impressed when a horror film’s sound can provoke visceral audience reactions as successfully (or more so) than the visuals, and The Strangers helmer Bryan Bertino’s 2025 movie release, Vicious, is indeed one of those movies. Currently streaming after originally being set for theaters, Vicious puts Dakota Fanning’s Polly in the middle of a single-location nightmare, and one of Bertino’s smartest moves here (beyond the A+ casting) was limiting the music to match the narrative, so that Fanning and the sound design take center stage.

Which means, of course, that any time someone’s flesh is being sliced or blood is squelching, those noises are as up close and personal as can be, which can make for some very disturbing scenes. Case in point: Polly suddenly losing her breath, choking, gagging and retching up a key that she definitely never swallowed in the first place. I had the pleasure of talking to Bryan Bertino after Vicious debuted at Fantastic Fest in Austin, and I had to ask how much of that scene hinged on Dakota Fanning’s instincts, as opposed to his direction. As seen in the video above, here’s what he told me:

Let me tell you, hearing those quick, rattled gasps turning into gutteral heaves was just below reaching "Too Effective" when booming out of the theater's speakers. Moments like that turn the smells of popcorn and hot dog grease from friends into enemies. So I can see why seeing and hearing Fanning's performance would have caused such a reaction.

He continued, championing the actress for going above and beyond in her portrayal of Polly, and for her ability to go to those dark places at a moment's notice.

I kinda wish I'd asked exactly how committed, since that shot lingered on her as she gagged a few times before the key finally dropped out of her mouth. Did she really have the key in there the whole time? Was it dropped from the other side of her face? Was it a CGI key?

I also asked Bertino which scene was the most disturbing one for him to film, and while some fans might think he'd bring up a shockingly violent scene involving a face stabbing or a digit being chopped off, he pointed back to Fanning's gagging scene, given how authentic it was compared to faux violence and gore. In his words:

That said, Bertino did bring up another scene that provided more of an emotional disturbance rather than anything bloody or supernatural: Polly's phone call with her father.

As someone whose father died back in 2001, and as someone who's had both good dreams and nightmares about seeing the man again, I was taken aback by that scene in a way that was unlike anything else in the movie. I obviously knew it wasn't really Polly's dad, but I could 100% empathize with her for wanting and wishing for it to be real. Grief sucks, especially when it involves fucked-up boxes with hourglasses and weird demands, and keys that rise up from one's guts.

The bar has now been set for any and all upcoming horror movies when it comes to having main characters aggressively gagging on supernatural keys, as well as for evil mirror reflections and other genre movie tricks.

Vicious is currently streaming among other excellent horror movies on Paramount+, and here's hoping everyone is living nice and happy lives after everything that went on, even though that seems about as likely as Polly's dad calling me right now. Ooh, hold on, I hear my phone buzzing somewhere...