Release Date: May 15
Director: Curry Barker
Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter
Warning – Spoilers for Obsession are contained below.
As a lifelong fan and devotee of horror, there is little that disturbs me to my core. Candyman, Killer Klowns From Outer Space (don’t laugh, I was ten), and now Curry Barker’s Obsession.
Obsession parallels the feeling that I had watching Candyman, in the sense that overwhelming dread loomed over the entire film, and never lets go. It never gets better. Nothing is happy, here. There is raw feeling, and the unmistakable stench of desperation, insecurity, and ego.
Baron (“Bear”) appears likeable on the surface. The opening scene paints him as a goofy, humble-but-lovelorn young man, trying to muster the courage to confess his feelings to his long-time friend and work crush, Nikki. His friend circle are keen to help him shoot his shot, but don’t wholly believe in his ability to make his dreams come to fruition.
We soon find Bear dealing with the sudden death of his cat, Sandy. This scene hit hard, as a pet parent to four cats of my own. I felt that devastation and sadness. It only takes one careless mistake to end in tragedy, and the guilt that follows. This is where the dread in Obsession digs its nails in and refuses to let go.
After being coerced to attend trivia night, that same night of Sandy’s death, Bear decides to confess his feelings to Nikki after driving her home. Except, that he doesn’t. He is a coward at his core, and instead of expressing his feelings when confronted by Nikki, he bids her goodnight. Kicking himself for chickening out, he turns to the One Wish Willow that he originally purchased for Nikki as a gift. Hastily, he makes his wish that she loves him “more than anyone in the world” and breaks the willow in half. Cue the dreadcopter, careening face-first into the viewer that begins Bear and Nikki’s downfall.
At first, things feel light and happy for the couple, but wholly surprising to the rest of their friend group. Bear and Nikki don’t make sense. They know she only thought of him as a brother. But things continue to escalate into an extreme example of co-dependency on Nikki’s behalf, who cannot bear the thought of being separated from her boyfriend for a single moment.
She no longer goes to her own home. She waits by the door until his return; refusing to leave her position to do even the most basic of human needs. She screams, really screams, at his attempts to leave the bed at night. She duct-tapes the front door excessively in order to keep Bear from going to work. You know, normal things for a woman that is definitely in control of her own actions. In one of the most disturbing scenes I’ve seen in a long time, Bear eats lunch with his coworker Sarah at the music store where the friend group all work (shout-out to the store owner who can somehow afford four full-time employees on music store earnings!). Sarah mocks Nikki’s hand-written note left in his lunchbox, which then turns into the question of, “what’s the verdict on cat?” Bear’s realization that Nikki has not only (once again) dug up Sandy, but now also served it to him in his sandwich, literally made my stomach turn. I couldn’t touch my snacks for the rest of the movie.
By now we’re well aware that Nikki is not Nikki, and her actions are more and more erratic as the film goes on. Inde Navarrette is an absolute powerhouse throughout, giving the viewers emotional and mental whiplash at every turn. Ultimately, you feel for Nikki, knowing that she is not in control, yet somehow still lives inside her own body. Bear’s selfishness has ruined her life, and his. Despite Bear’s attempts to right his wrongs, it becomes obvious that there are only two ways to end this: have another person un-wish his wish, or die.
Obsession is an extremely strong theatrical feature debut from Curry Barker, known for his internet sketch comedy series, that’s a bad idea (with Obsession actor and Barker’s friend, Cooper Tomlinson). He also directed a found-footage horror film called MILK AND SERIAL, that was released on YouTube for free in 2024. If Obsession is any indicator, the future of horror and the next generation of horror directors is promising and in good hands.
Be careful what you wish for.
