“Be careful what you wish for” is an age-old adage that’s been explored countless times in films—especially in the horror genre. And while Obsession doesn’t break any new ground, it does offer a horrifying, funny and sometimes all-too-real take for a new generation.
Bear (Michael Johnston) is an insecure, dorky music store employee who’s spent the last seven years hopelessly in love with his co-worker, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). On a particularly hard day, Bear visits a spiritual shop and ends up purchasing a “One Wish Willow” from a clearly disenchanted clerk. Unsurprisingly, his one wish a) is to have Nikki love him more than anyone in the world, and b) comes true. But it’s not hard to imagine the many ways this wish doesn’t pan out as Bear hopes. Nikki becomes, well, obsessed.
Her obsession, though, is eerily reminiscent of an emotionally abusive relationship. She uses her trauma to make Bear feel stuck, threatens to kill herself if he doesn’t do what she wants, and constantly needs him to validate how much he loves her. While discussing emotionally abusive relationships is definitely needed in art, the humor paired with these scenes makes for an uncomfortable experience. The film doesn’t give enough emotional weight to these moments—something that could have elevated the story above just another low-budget horror film—making this parallel feel unintentional or, at the very least, not handled with the respect it deserves.
Navarrette pulls off Nikki’s near-possession with surprising ease, switching from the real Nikki to this new, disturbingly fixated shadow of her old self. Her humor and pure creepiness ground the film in both its goals without feeling too over-the-top on either end. Similarly, Bear’s friends and co-workers bring a level of real-world humanity to the film. Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) has his own reasons for being skeptical about Bear and Nikki’s quick-moving relationship and constantly tries to caution Bear from moving too fast. Sarah (Megan Lawless) harbors feelings for Bear and works through them while supporting her friends in their new relationship. At its core, Obsession is a very human story (or, at least, it’s attempting to be), focusing far more on each of these relationships than a typical horror film would.
Despite being only 26 and on his second feature-length film, director Curry Barker is no stranger to horror or comedy—something that comes in incredibly handy for a film like Obsession. The film is genuinely creepy (and at times jump-out-of-your-seat terrifying), but it could just as easily be classified as a comedy. Balancing the comedic timing with suspenseful pacing is a difficult feat that Barker nails almost throughout the entire film. Barker is completely comfortable lingering on a shot to drag out the tension, which both elevates the film and proves to be his main downfall. The film’s pacing, especially the decision to save much of the gore for the end, made it drag a bit in the middle, causing the film to feel less tense than it had the potential to be.
Obsession is a stressful and hilarious film that horror fans will love. It definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you can handle the subject matter and aren’t expecting a constant slew of creative kills, Obsession is still a fun film that will make you double-check every shadowy corner for days after watching.
