“Obsession” has been on my radar for a long time. And while I’ve been trying to see it since September 2025 (where it played two sold out screenings at Fantastic Fest), I’ve also been avoiding all trailers, posters, interviews, social media posts and more—a daunting feat given our media landscape and the growing buzz for the film. But writer/director Curry Barker’s impressive film doesn’t just match the hype but exceeds it, producing a very dark tale of wish fulfillment gone wrong that playfully manipulates the audience’s sympathies through its villainous protagonist. It’s a very clever idea that plumbs truly obsidian depths of bad behavior while doing so in a manner that often surprises and will leave viewers feeling increasingly unsettled.
Bear (Michael Johnston) is in love with his friend, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). But it’s unlikely that the feelings are reciprocated. After purchasing a hokey wish making collectible called a One Wish Willow, Bear makes a wish that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world. Shockingly, the wish works and Nikki is soon utterly devoted to Bear…but far too devoted and to horrific lengths that continue to worsen as the situation continues.
I wouldn’t say I enjoyed “Obsession,” but that’s not to impugn it in any way. It’s a remarkably made film on every level with some very minor issues with pacing, but it is a very dark movie (both literally and figuratively) about a horrible situation. So it’s not exactly fun fare to be pleasantly consumed. However, I was thoroughly engaged throughout and transfixed by the incredible performances, impeccable cinematography by DP Taylor Clemons, unsettling sound (including score by composer Rock Burwell), and the audacious script and precise direction by Barker. While Barker has been on the genre scene with his various shorts (both comedy and horror) and the indie found footage film “Milk and Serial,” “Obsession” clearly announces him as a talent that demands attention.
“Obsession” is not a wholly original tale — wish fulfillment going awry has been around for centuries, not to mention W. W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw” short story from 1902, many “Tales From the Crypt” comics and episodes, “The Twilight Zone” installments, and more. Add into that the DNA of various erotic thrillers of the ‘90s (that heavily featured an obsessive “crazy” woman), “It Follows,” and works of Ari Aster, and the DNA for Barker’s film is pretty evident. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t novel approaches and surprises in store. One of the strengths of “Obsession” is how Barker manipulates the audience to initially having sympathy for the lovestruck Bear before realizing he’s the villain of the piece and his actions are truly detestable. It’s not just stripping away Nikki’s autonomy that is so horrific, but also his cowardly approach whenever she acts strange or is his constantly shirking of any responsibility for his actions. It’s not enough he got what he wanted, but he also plays the passive victim throughout in truly heinous fashion.
This is hammered home not just through the script of “Obsession” but also the terrific performances by the cast. Johnston starts off seeming like the lovesick puppy before the veneer fades and we see the “nice guy” myth that he tells himself to get through his pathetic existence. And while there are slight moments of sympathy for him, it’s always clear that he is the monster of this horror story, no matter what he tells himself—all of which is communicated perfectly through Johnston’s excellent work. But it’s Navarrette who truly elevates the material with an unhinged performance devoid of any ego that makes Nikki uniquely terrifying yet extraordinarily pitiful. Her physicality is otherworldly, her commitment is jarring, and it’s hard not to be impressed by the dichotomy she strikes within herself as both the creature and victim that Bear creates.
“Obsession” continues the trend of lowlighting in horror movies, with so much scaled down darkness pervading the screen. However, unlike “Wolf Man” (2025) or “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” Barker and cinematographer Clemons have a strong handle on the shadows and use them incredibly effectively. Audiences will squint at some portions, trying to discern people and movement in the dark, but it’s purposeful to get viewers to lean in and see what is happening in those murky depths. Meanwhile by artfully using shadows and lighting, highlighting just the gleam of Nikki’s eyes or obscuring just her face, it creates a rich visual tapestry that makes the despair of the situation seep out and pervade every frame.
“Obsession” is a great horror tale that’s about a lot of things—men controlling women, the lies men tell themselves, the blurring of devotion to mania, the “crazy” behavior that men paint women, and the lack of owning up to the horrible messes we create. It’s a soul-sickening, feel bad movie that is incredibly entertaining with even some laugh out loud moments along the way. And while there’s a few issues here and there—it could’ve been tighter and shorter, Andy Richter is oddly distracting even in a small role—it remains a very powerful experience. “Obsession” is a defiant barbaric yawp of a film that is truly unsettling and inventive in the best of ways.
4.5 /5 Stars
Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter
Directed by: Curry Barker
