It's getting into spooky season, so a great time to watch some horror. And it doesn't get much more horrific than Curry Barker's "Obsession."
The movie follows Bear, who has feelings for his friend Nikki. While visiting a metaphysical shop to buy Nikki a replacement crystal necklace, he buys a novelty called The One Wish Willow. The toy promises to grant one wish when broken. Frustrated with his inability to be honest about his feelings for Nikki, Bear breaks the willow wishing for Nikki to love him more than anyone else.
What follows is what is probably one of the most disturbing series of events I've watched in a movie.
The One Wish Willow grants Bear's wish, causing Nikki to lose all agency as she becomes obsessed with him. Her actions become more erratic and unsettling, less like herself. Throughout, you get glimpses of the real Nikki and her desperate attempts to get out of the nightmare and Bear refusing to try and help in any way.
The movie could've easily veered into the Crazy Girlfriend territory, but it does a great job at making you understand the horror story Nikki is living. The ending solidifies that it was intentionally meant for Nikki to be the victim of the movie. Given that it was a movie written and directed by a man, it does a really great job of balancing the themes of women feeling trapped and without agency and how that can actually affect young men as well.
Performances by both Michael Johnston (Bear) and Inde Navarrette (Nikki) are phenomenal, but Inde steals the show. Nikki was recently announced as Rogue in the upcoming X-Men movie (probably my favorite X-Men character) and this movie made me excited for the depth she can bring to her. In "Obsession", she did not hold back, making it very clear Nikki and the character that emerges after the wish is granted are two distinct characters.
The movie is quite gory and graphic. Barker's direction and writing has been compared to Zach Cregger ("Barbarian" and "Weapons"). Both have ways of making you feel unsettled, have an underlying message, and mix in elements of their backgrounds in comedy.
If you like horror and don't mind well-placed and well-done elements of gore, definitely check "Obsession" out.
