Film Name: Spoiling You
Director: Megan Tremethick
Writers: Megan Tremethick, Lawrie Brewster
Starring: Laurence R. Harvey, Megan Tremethick, Stephen Kerr, Peter F. Mahoney
When an ASMR Cosplay artist invites her No.1 fan for a private session, she reveals a terrifying secret that can’t be unheard.
In a new interview on Blazing Minds, I got a chance to ask Actress/Director Megan Tremethick a few questions about her film Spoiling You, which has been selected to play at the Romford Horror Film Festival on Saturday, 21st February at 7 PM.
Q. Your latest film ‘Spoiling You’ will have its World Premiere at the Romford Horror Film Festival. Can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from the film?
A. Yes, I am so grateful to the team at Romford Horror Festival. It is an honour for Spoiling You to have its world premiere with them. Spoiling You is a psychological horror film influenced by 1990s and early 2000s J horror, as well as the intriguing intimacy of ASMR culture. While very character-driven, the film also leans into moments of heightened and often surreal spectacle that build as the story unfolds. Drew, played by Stephen Kerr, finds so much comfort in the ASMR videos of Miss Mutter, played by me, that she begins to encompass his whole world. But when she invites him for his own extra special in person ASMR session, that world might just come crashing down…
The film explores themes of loneliness and control, using ASMR both as a comforting surface and as something that can quickly become intrusive and unsettling. The tone shifts as it progresses, blending atmosphere with deliberately confrontational imagery. Audiences can expect a slow escalation into something increasingly surreal, uncomfortable, and visually striking.
Q. You play Miss Mutter in the film. Can you tell us a bit about your inspirations behind creating the character?
A. Miss Mutter came from a mix of fascination and affection for the ASMR world. I have followed ASMR creators for years, and I have always been interested in the intimacy they create with their audiences, particularly the sense of trust and closeness that forms through a screen.
It was important to me to create as much nuance as possible for Miss Mutter. I was more interested in exploring how performance, control, and care can blur together in that space than in presenting her as a simple archetype. Her persona is very deliberate and soothing, but there is something slightly heightened about it, and that contrast became the core of the character for me.
A lot of the inspiration also came from thinking about online identity and how people curate versions of themselves for an audience. Miss Mutter is very aware of who she is meant to be for Drew, and that awareness plays a big part in how the relationship unfolds. I wanted her to feel alluring and comforting, but also unsettling in a way that creeps up slowly.
Q. What sort of preparation did you have to do in preparation for playing the role of Miss Mutter, and do you think there are any elements of her which reflect some of your own personality?
A. The first thing that comes to mind is an evening before filming began when I dressed in full costume as Miss Mutter and filmed a lot of experimental footage while trying to find the character. I started with physicality, discovering how she would walk, move, and hold herself. I then found a corner where I could leave the camera rolling and experiment with performing different ASMR triggers and speaking directly to the camera.
This process helped enormously, and it really had to be done in full costume because it was so transformative. The contact lenses completely changed how my expressions registered, while the fake nails altered the way I held my hands and the kind of business I did with them. All of that fed directly into how the character took shape.
Although it was not a direct translation, one of my inspirations was Marilyn Monroe. To me, Marilyn had a dreaminess to her entire being, from the way she carried herself to the sound of her voice, but there was also a deep sadness there that made you want to know her and perhaps for some, almost want to save her. I wanted to bring some of those qualities to Miss Mutter, particularly that sense of melancholic vulnerability beneath a seemingly carefree exterior. I also wanted her to feel like she exists in her own world, or perhaps that we are the ones entering hers.
As for whether she reflects my own personality, she was actually quite difficult for me to relate to. Without giving too much away, there are other characters in Spoiling You that I connect with far more than Miss Mutter. Because of that, in order to play her honestly and be fair to her, I really had to fall in love with her. That took a lot of time and reflection, but I feel like I got there in the end. Once I did, she quickly became one of my favourite characters I have ever played.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. One of my favourite parts of filming was working with Stephen Kerr, who plays Drew, and Laurence R. Harvey. They are both genuinely lovely people with great senses of humour, as well as being incredibly talented, which made the work even more enjoyable.
I also really loved filming the exterior scenes in the multi-storey car park. The location was everything I had hoped for, memorably dilapidated and offering a gritty, bleak aesthetic that suited the film perfectly. I adored collaborating with the incredibly talented cinematographer Michael Brewster on shaping the visual language of the film. There is also a montage near the end of the film that I absolutely loved working on, although I cannot say which one without giving too much away. Spoilers!Â
Q. Did you experience any issues whilst filming Spoiling You?
A. The main challenge was simply the amount of material we were trying to fit into each day. There were a lot of scenes and pages to get through, which is fairly standard on most of the projects I’ve worked on, so it was something we were all prepared for. It required focus and flexibility from everyone involved, but the team handled it really well.
Q. You co-wrote the film with Lawrie Brewster. What is the process of you both writing together?
A. We had a very collaborative process, which I really loved. I would usually start by writing a first draft that focused heavily on visuals, atmosphere, and action, with rougher dialogue in place.
Lawrie would then come in and refine and polish the draft, particularly when it came to dialogue. His input really helped sharpen and add depth to the character’s voices, and he especially excelled with Miss Kitty Mutter, with much of that dialogue coming directly from him. The process felt very balanced, and it was always about playing to each other’s strengths rather than working in isolation.
Q. In addition to writing and acting in the film you are also directing. How did do you find the balance between acting and directing on sat, especially as you were also playing the lead character in the film?
A. Firstly, I was so excited to make this film, and getting to play Miss Mutter made it even more creatively fulfilling. At the same time, it was certainly intimidating. This is my first feature film, and I had only directed a few shorts before, along with some second unit work. I desperately wanted to do the film and Miss Mutter justice, while also meeting my responsibility to the cast and crew.
It helped a great deal that the first scenes I directed on Spoiling You did not include Miss Mutter. That allowed me to ease into the tone of the film and into working with the team, and to find our rhythm together. Normally, Lawrie Brewster would be on set daily on a British Horror Studio production, but for Spoiling You he was pretty much not on set at all. The training wheels were very much off, which was daunting but also incredibly invigorating.
Having such a wonderful team to lean on made all the difference. Tom Staunton is a vigilant production manager, Michael Brewster was always there if I needed support with a shot or my shot list, and Caz, our art director and 1st AD, was brilliant at creating props and keeping the set running smoothly. Lawrie’s contributions to the film off set were also utterly invaluable. With that kind of safety net around me, the least I could do was show up with a clear vision, then collaborate and explore every avenue possible to make the best film we could.
As Miss Mutter, I felt very lucky to have such talented scene partners. Stephen Kerr was a joy to work with, and he made acting alongside him while also directing feel effortless. And as for Laurence R. Harvey, he knew that character inside out. I was blown away by the performance he brought to set, and I cannot wait for audiences to experience his embodiment of the role. It is truly something special.
Q. What makes Spoiling You stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. Well, I hope it is the film’s boldness, its strong and sometimes strikingly contrasting visuals, and the way it can feel like a fever dream. I also really hope the themes resonate with people, perhaps in ways they do not expect.
ASMR plays a central role in the film, and while I had to be mindful of practical limitations, I wanted to keep experimenting with creative ways it could reappear in different and often strange forms throughout the story. Ultimately, I hope those choices give the film a distinctive rhythm and texture that stays with audiences after they experience it.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. Honestly, I am really intrigued to find out and to hear what people tell me. When making Spoiling You, although I thought about the audience often, I had to give myself permission to let go and step outside my comfort zone.
The film does not feel ‘safe’ to me, and that was very intentional. I wanted to take strong inspiration from the brilliance of Takashi Miike and Satoshi Kon, and while there are clear nods to their work, it was important to me that my own creative voice remained present, alongside the voices of the wonderful team collaborating with me, so that the film feels unique.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. At the moment, we have Mr. Whispers and Black Chariot premiering at the Romford Horror Film Festival alongside Spoiling You, which makes it a particularly busy and exciting time. Spoiling You screens on Saturday 21st of February at 7pm.
Mr. Whispers, directed by Dorian Todd, Oliver Revie, and Seumas MacNeil, leans into atmosphere and mystery, with a creeping sense of unease that gradually builds. It was a fascinating project to be part of, particularly in how tension is developed through character and mood. The film screens on Sunday 22nd of February at 4:20pm.
Black Chariot, written and directed by Lawrie Brewster, is more of a slow burn drama. It takes its time with the characters and their relationships, allowing tension to develop in a more understated and psychological way. Working on both films offered very different creative experiences, which I really valued. Black Chariot also screens on Sunday 22nd of February at 6:50pm.
Spoiling You will play at the Romford Horror Film Festival on Saturday 21st February at 7PM.
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
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