Horror is having a heck of a year. Between Weapons and Sinners winning Oscars and films like Ready or Not 2: Here I Come and Forbidden Fruits, it’s a good time to be a fan of scary flicks. But the best horror so far this year belongs to Curry Barker’s Obsession, produced by Blumhouse and shot for a ridiculously low budget of $750,000. Everything you’ve heard about this film is absolutely true: It’s a pure relationship nightmare anchored by a star in the making who should be the talk of the town come awards season.
It all starts when Bear (Michael Johnston), who’s been long harboring feelings for his coworker Nikki (Inde Navarrette), acquires a “One Wish Willow,” designed to grant one wish to anyone who uses it. Rather than solve world hunger or get out of debt, Bear wishes that Nikki “loved me more than anything in the world,” which predictably goes south, resulting in Nikki’s obsession with Bear reaching dangerous and disturbing levels.
The first thing we must mention is Navarrette’s performance as Nikki because OH. MY. GOD. This out of nowhere breath of fresh air may just have delivered one of the best performances in any movie bar none. She’s easy to fall in love with in her early scenes before it all goes to hell, and even after the titular obsession takes hold, she commands the screen, going through virtually every human emotion known to man and making it all look effortless. Even as we, the audience, start to fear what she might do, we feel for her and at times, pity the horrific situation she’s been thrust into. If Navarrette doesn’t get recognition from the Academy, I for one will be shocked, as even the most devout haters of the genre will be stunned by what she’s pulled off.
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As the film goes on and gets more demented and shocking, the tension at any given moment is ratcheted up to 11, even in moments Nikki doesn’t appear in. The atmosphere is through the roof, but most surprisingly, writer/director Curry Barker knows when to bring in levity and settle the audience in. This is especially apparent in the first scene, which for the uninitiated could very well be a relationship dramady, before making the horror clear and ever present.
But there’s one major flaw with the film that more people aren’t talking about enough: How it deals with consent. Bear essentially strips Nikki as a person away simply so he can be with her and does so without her knowledge or permission, which is severely problematic enough on paper, but worse, Bear doesn’t seem to feel the guilt of what he’s done until it’s far, far too late. I know the message is “Be careful what you wish for,” but when an innocent woman’s consent and personal feelings are violated to this degree, that’s a delicate subject matter to portray and the film doesn’t quite know how to handle that. Still, it works far better as a movie than, say, 2016’s Passengers.
Obsession is a nightmarish relationship cautionary tale that will no doubt make millions uncomfortable and terrified. But thanks to Navarrette’s pitch perfect performance, it’s elevated to a must see and a masterclass in horror and acting. I had my doubts about the film before seeing it, but believe the hype. This will be big.
Obsession is now playing in theaters.
