Obsession is the perfect example of the old warning: “Be careful what you wish for”.
The story follows the shy store Clerk, Bear, who is hopelessly in love with his co-worker, Nikki. To give her a gift on the special night that he has finally built up the courage to tell her how he feels, Bear purchases a “One Wish Willow” at the local crystal shop. However, when the moment arrives for him to finally confess his feelings, he completely chickens out. However, instead of wallowing in his disappointment, he chooses to make the rash decision to make his own wish on the “one wish willow”. His wish? That Nikki would love him more than anyone else.
Harmless, right? Absolutely not.
Immediately, Nikki begins acting differently, returning to Bear’s car. She begins confessing her feelings, spinning elaborate lies, and showing increasingly erratic behavior when it comes to Bear. Did the wish work? Is Nikki somehow possessed? What happens is something even more shocking.
A new kind of horror movie
What begins as a supernatural “what if” premise evolves into something much darker. The film gradually digs into themes of desperation, control, and the dangerous consequences of manipulating someone’s feelings. At its core, Obsession becomes a character study about the choices people make when they feel powerless and how far someone might go in the name of love.
Writer/Director Curry Barker has truly made something incredibly special for the horror genre. What on paper seems like a silly premise we’ve seen before. However, Obsession is truly one of a kind. The film constantly escalates the tension scene by scene while becoming even more unsettling through visuals, smart editing, and an eerie sound design that serves as the perfect punctuation.
The core of the film comes from the absolutely incredible performance by Inde Navarrette (Superman & Lois). Her spiral into mania is equally mesmerizing as it is haunting. Watching Navarette seamlessly shift from vulnerable to volatile in an instant makes the character both frightening and impossible to look away from. It’s the kind of performance that will stick with me for weeks to come.
But none of this would work without her amazing counterpart, Michael Johnston (Teen Wolf). His fully grounded, horrified, but desperate performance provides the perfect foil necessary to anchor the story in reality, making the audience believe every moment.
I loved watching Obsession in a packed theater. The collective gasps, jumps, and nervous laughter created the kind of tension-filled atmosphere that reminds you why horror plays best in a theater. It’s rare for a film to hold an audience in that kind of shared tension from start to finish.Overall, Obsession turns a seemingly simple premise into a nerve-rattling exploration of love, control, and unintended consequences. It’s unsettling, unpredictable, and proof that sometimes the most terrifying thing isn’t the supernatural force behind a wish, but the human desire that made the wish in the first place.
Obsession hits theaters on May 15.
(featured image: Focus Features)
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