Director
Curry Barker
Cast
Michael Johnston - Bear
Inde Navarrette - Nikki
Cooper Tomlinson - Ian
Megan Lawless - Sarah
Andy Richter - Carter
Inde Navarrette - Nikki
Cooper Tomlinson - Ian
Megan Lawless - Sarah
Andy Richter - Carter
There is, in the movie "Obsession," a reflection of the type of isolation that modern society has found itself in.
The popularity of this movie, which somehow garnered a lot of attention despite being up against Steven Spielberg's highly anticipated alien flick, "Disclosure Day," is very telling of just how much this movie gets to its audiences.
In an age increasingly dominated by spectacle, technology, and artificial/digital connections, audiences evidently gravitated toward a movie whose appeal lies in something much more intimate, unsettling, and difficult to categorize. "Obsession" feels almost like an anomaly. It wasn't a big production. It has a small cast. Its budget was approximately $750,000.
Upon its opening release in May of this year, it earned over $17 million domestically at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
"Obsession" feels like an original movie, but its story feels pretty familiar, as if it has been told before.
It strikes a chord with audiences because it centers on loneliness. Its popularity may say as much about the audience watching it as it does about the movie itself. Perhaps modern audiences aren't looking to be blown away by another mega-blockbuster spectacle like "Disclosure Day." Instead, it seems they're looking for something that reflects themselves.
As I've mentioned before, horror movies more often than not reflect the societal anxieties and fears of their respective decades. I'll get to that in detail after I finish writing this review. Few fears are more unsettling and emotionally moving than loneliness.
Things such as digital communication, political polarization, and even the decline of a shared popular culture, which conservative commentator and filmmaker Matt Walsh calls the "death of the monoculture," have brought about this wave of loneliness and isolation among a lot of people. It's an unraveling of social connections.
"Obsession," directed by YouTuber Curry Baker, is a tale similar to the Monkey's Paw, with some "Romeo and Juliet," "Fatal Attraction," "Frankenstein," "The Twilight Zone," and a dash of "The Exorcist" to taste. Even so, it still taps into something that should be recognizable and blatantly obvious about our modern society.
Even with that said, "Obsession" still has something that's very much its own.
In this movie, lovestruck Baron Bailey (Michael Johnston) — "Bear" to his friends — is head-over-heels in love with his friend, Nikki (Inde Navarrette).
Bear and Nikki's friends and coworkers, Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless), know how much he loves Nikki. But Nikki doesn't realize it. Or does she?
Bear wants to tell Nikki how he feels, but doing so might wreck their friendship. Maybe it won't? It's a gamble the likes of which a majority of audiences can surely relate to.
Instead of manning up and just letting her know, he's too apprehensive. She sends out vibes that she also has feelings for him, but then sends out signals indicating that she doesn't want a relationship with anyone.
On a whim, and in an act of desperation at its most ridiculous, Bear purchases a novelty wish-maker called a "One Wish Willow." It's supposed to grant the person who uses it only one wish.
So, Bear wishes that Nikki will love him more than anyone in the world. Then he breaks the "One Wish Willow." And it works. Nikki falls in love with him, but in the worst possible way.
Her affection for Bear starts off as a consuming obsession that can only intensify.
While it seems like a dream come true for Bear, he quickly feels trapped by her jealousy, attachment, violence, and emotional blackmail.
Just as Bear wanted a relationship with Nikki and got it in a supernatural way rather than an honest way, he becomes desperate to get out of it.
Obsession" turns unhealthy attachment, the desire to be loved, and what happens when someone tries to control another person's affection into a supernatural horror story in a way that is neither ridiculous, over-the-top, nor campy. The general premise of a boy in love with a girl is very relatable. And to make it into a nail-biting tale about loving someone versus loving the idea of someone deserves applause.
I love the realism behind the fantasy within this all-too-familiar scenario of unrequited love, or the uncertainty of whether or not someone we fall in love with, with what feels like a solid and unmovable love, shares those same feelings.
Heaven knows I've been in such a scenario. And there's absolutely no doubt that when that happened, somewhere within my hopes and imagination, I wished I could just wave a magic wand or say the right words, and that object of my affection would immediately like me back. No doubt that kind of thought has crossed the minds of millions of other hopeful young men and women at least once in their lifetime.
Well, what if that actually happened? We can see, without rose-colored glasses, what that might actually look like.
There are a few well-known movies somewhat similar to "Obsession" as far as the story's control-disguised-as-intimacy-or-affection plot point is concerned.
The movie that comes straight to mind after seeing this is the 1990 movie "Misery," based on the novel by Stephen King. That's certainly a story of infatuation and love turning into imprisonment.
"Fatal Attraction" from 1987 is also similar insofar as the actual obsession trope goes. However, "Fatal Attraction" is about someone becoming obsessed with someone else, whereas "Obsession" has someone making someone else obsessed with them.
I'm also reminded of the 1997 movie "Wishmaster." That movie is about getting precisely what you wish for, but with terrible consequences. In "Wishmaster," the supernatural forces that make the wishes come true interpret those wishes in horrific ways.
In "Obsession," with his initially innocent wish, Bear is trying to take on powers that don't belong to him by controlling Nikki's emotions.
By doing this, Bear ends up bringing destruction and chaos.
He starts to really doubt whether it's actually love. And that's the big question: Love or infatuation?
The latter is really the anti-love in that it's utterly selfish. The obsessed person projects their own desires onto another person. They don't actually love the person for who they are. Rather, they love their own idea of the person they're infatuated with, convincing themselves that they love them. It's a regrettable and easy fault to fall into.
The acting is absolutely amazing. Michael Johnston has to portray a character who second-guesses his decision rather quickly, and then second-guesses his own doubts as he does love Nikki. But his forced relationship brings misery and fear. Meanwhile, Inde Navarrette has to be both in love and terrifyingly smitten. She has to go from a likable character to a terrifyingly overbearing girlfriend more and more as the story progresses.
But even though Nikki acts obsessed, she's really going through all the motions of being completely in love, with random and short-lived moments of lucidity, only to be taken over again by what Bear initially wished for. It must have been difficult for both actors to portray constantly conflicting emotions throughout the story and to do so convincingly.
They also have to convince the audience that no person would be sincerely happy or satisfied with someone who loved them by force. Their performances are nothing short of amazing.
I'm sure "Obsession" will find a popular and respected place in the genre. Between this movie and another that came out this same year, "Backrooms," I think it'll be regarded as a decade-defining horror film. And Bear's terrible wish will be one heard around the world.
In an age increasingly dominated by spectacle, technology, and artificial/digital connections, audiences evidently gravitated toward a movie whose appeal lies in something much more intimate, unsettling, and difficult to categorize. "Obsession" feels almost like an anomaly. It wasn't a big production. It has a small cast. Its budget was approximately $750,000.
Upon its opening release in May of this year, it earned over $17 million domestically at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
"Obsession" feels like an original movie, but its story feels pretty familiar, as if it has been told before.
It strikes a chord with audiences because it centers on loneliness. Its popularity may say as much about the audience watching it as it does about the movie itself. Perhaps modern audiences aren't looking to be blown away by another mega-blockbuster spectacle like "Disclosure Day." Instead, it seems they're looking for something that reflects themselves.
As I've mentioned before, horror movies more often than not reflect the societal anxieties and fears of their respective decades. I'll get to that in detail after I finish writing this review. Few fears are more unsettling and emotionally moving than loneliness.
Things such as digital communication, political polarization, and even the decline of a shared popular culture, which conservative commentator and filmmaker Matt Walsh calls the "death of the monoculture," have brought about this wave of loneliness and isolation among a lot of people. It's an unraveling of social connections.
"Obsession," directed by YouTuber Curry Baker, is a tale similar to the Monkey's Paw, with some "Romeo and Juliet," "Fatal Attraction," "Frankenstein," "The Twilight Zone," and a dash of "The Exorcist" to taste. Even so, it still taps into something that should be recognizable and blatantly obvious about our modern society.
Even with that said, "Obsession" still has something that's very much its own.
In this movie, lovestruck Baron Bailey (Michael Johnston) — "Bear" to his friends — is head-over-heels in love with his friend, Nikki (Inde Navarrette).
Bear and Nikki's friends and coworkers, Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless), know how much he loves Nikki. But Nikki doesn't realize it. Or does she?
Bear wants to tell Nikki how he feels, but doing so might wreck their friendship. Maybe it won't? It's a gamble the likes of which a majority of audiences can surely relate to.
 |
| Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston in "Obsession." |
On a whim, and in an act of desperation at its most ridiculous, Bear purchases a novelty wish-maker called a "One Wish Willow." It's supposed to grant the person who uses it only one wish.
So, Bear wishes that Nikki will love him more than anyone in the world. Then he breaks the "One Wish Willow." And it works. Nikki falls in love with him, but in the worst possible way.
Her affection for Bear starts off as a consuming obsession that can only intensify.
While it seems like a dream come true for Bear, he quickly feels trapped by her jealousy, attachment, violence, and emotional blackmail.
Just as Bear wanted a relationship with Nikki and got it in a supernatural way rather than an honest way, he becomes desperate to get out of it.
Obsession" turns unhealthy attachment, the desire to be loved, and what happens when someone tries to control another person's affection into a supernatural horror story in a way that is neither ridiculous, over-the-top, nor campy. The general premise of a boy in love with a girl is very relatable. And to make it into a nail-biting tale about loving someone versus loving the idea of someone deserves applause.
I love the realism behind the fantasy within this all-too-familiar scenario of unrequited love, or the uncertainty of whether or not someone we fall in love with, with what feels like a solid and unmovable love, shares those same feelings.
Heaven knows I've been in such a scenario. And there's absolutely no doubt that when that happened, somewhere within my hopes and imagination, I wished I could just wave a magic wand or say the right words, and that object of my affection would immediately like me back. No doubt that kind of thought has crossed the minds of millions of other hopeful young men and women at least once in their lifetime.
Well, what if that actually happened? We can see, without rose-colored glasses, what that might actually look like.
The movie that comes straight to mind after seeing this is the 1990 movie "Misery," based on the novel by Stephen King. That's certainly a story of infatuation and love turning into imprisonment.
"Fatal Attraction" from 1987 is also similar insofar as the actual obsession trope goes. However, "Fatal Attraction" is about someone becoming obsessed with someone else, whereas "Obsession" has someone making someone else obsessed with them.
I'm also reminded of the 1997 movie "Wishmaster." That movie is about getting precisely what you wish for, but with terrible consequences. In "Wishmaster," the supernatural forces that make the wishes come true interpret those wishes in horrific ways.
In "Obsession," with his initially innocent wish, Bear is trying to take on powers that don't belong to him by controlling Nikki's emotions.
By doing this, Bear ends up bringing destruction and chaos.
He starts to really doubt whether it's actually love. And that's the big question: Love or infatuation?
The latter is really the anti-love in that it's utterly selfish. The obsessed person projects their own desires onto another person. They don't actually love the person for who they are. Rather, they love their own idea of the person they're infatuated with, convincing themselves that they love them. It's a regrettable and easy fault to fall into.
The acting is absolutely amazing. Michael Johnston has to portray a character who second-guesses his decision rather quickly, and then second-guesses his own doubts as he does love Nikki. But his forced relationship brings misery and fear. Meanwhile, Inde Navarrette has to be both in love and terrifyingly smitten. She has to go from a likable character to a terrifyingly overbearing girlfriend more and more as the story progresses.
But even though Nikki acts obsessed, she's really going through all the motions of being completely in love, with random and short-lived moments of lucidity, only to be taken over again by what Bear initially wished for. It must have been difficult for both actors to portray constantly conflicting emotions throughout the story and to do so convincingly.
They also have to convince the audience that no person would be sincerely happy or satisfied with someone who loved them by force. Their performances are nothing short of amazing.
I'm sure "Obsession" will find a popular and respected place in the genre. Between this movie and another that came out this same year, "Backrooms," I think it'll be regarded as a decade-defining horror film. And Bear's terrible wish will be one heard around the world.
Fear through the decades
 |
| A scene from "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). |
This was a perfect era for someone to film the earliest adaptation of, perhaps, the most famous of ghost story ever told, "A Christmas Carol," British filmmaker Walter R. Booth did turn "A Christmas Carol" into a movie called "Marley's Ghost."
This very early period is best known for a genre called trick film. This genre, developed by French filmmaker Georges Méliès, was designed to show off and wow audiences with novel special effects they had never seen before. So, ghosts and the supernatural were certainly well-fitted subjects for trick films.
As the 1920s rolled around, the subject of ghosts and the supernatural morphed into fears of invisible threats and invasive outsiders, as well as psychological fears stemming from the aftermath of World War I.
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920), "Nosferatu" (1922), and "Faust" (1926) scared audiences during this period.
The 1920s ended with the beginning of the Great Depression. The film industry was booming at the same time that societal anxiety over widespread unemployment, poverty, industry, and social decline was growing, thanks to that lingering sense of uncertainty.
Horror became a mix of looming monsters and scientists practicing their evil deeds without moral restraints.
"Frankenstein" (1931), "Dracula" (1931), and "The Invisible Man" (1933) came out during this decade. This was the era of the Universal Monsters, including these three iconic monsters. And these monsters came from foreign far-off places.
Monsters transitioned rather well into the 1940s as World War II waged on throughout the decade.
America was certainly fearful of foreign invaders, along with the general paranoia over whether those around us were friends or foes.
So, the idea of monsters transitioned more into monsters hidden among us, perhaps disguised as ordinary people.
"The Wolf Man" (1941), "Cat People" (1942), and "Dead of Night" (1945) come to mind when I think of 1940s horror movies.
Things really changed once the U.S. bombed Japan and World War II ended. Things got really atomic in the 1950s. In fact, that era of horror, much of which melded with science fiction, is often called the "Atomic Age". By the way, I've read a lot about this kind of stuff. Does it show?
Anyway, this is the era when giant mutant monsters began attacking cities and towns.
"The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" (1953) is such a perfect example of atomic horror, if anyone were to ask me.
This very early period is best known for a genre called trick film. This genre, developed by French filmmaker Georges Méliès, was designed to show off and wow audiences with novel special effects they had never seen before. So, ghosts and the supernatural were certainly well-fitted subjects for trick films.
As the 1920s rolled around, the subject of ghosts and the supernatural morphed into fears of invisible threats and invasive outsiders, as well as psychological fears stemming from the aftermath of World War I.
"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920), "Nosferatu" (1922), and "Faust" (1926) scared audiences during this period.
The 1920s ended with the beginning of the Great Depression. The film industry was booming at the same time that societal anxiety over widespread unemployment, poverty, industry, and social decline was growing, thanks to that lingering sense of uncertainty.
Horror became a mix of looming monsters and scientists practicing their evil deeds without moral restraints.
"Frankenstein" (1931), "Dracula" (1931), and "The Invisible Man" (1933) came out during this decade. This was the era of the Universal Monsters, including these three iconic monsters. And these monsters came from foreign far-off places.
Monsters transitioned rather well into the 1940s as World War II waged on throughout the decade.
America was certainly fearful of foreign invaders, along with the general paranoia over whether those around us were friends or foes.
So, the idea of monsters transitioned more into monsters hidden among us, perhaps disguised as ordinary people.
"The Wolf Man" (1941), "Cat People" (1942), and "Dead of Night" (1945) come to mind when I think of 1940s horror movies.
Things really changed once the U.S. bombed Japan and World War II ended. Things got really atomic in the 1950s. In fact, that era of horror, much of which melded with science fiction, is often called the "Atomic Age". By the way, I've read a lot about this kind of stuff. Does it show?
Anyway, this is the era when giant mutant monsters began attacking cities and towns.
"The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" (1953) is such a perfect example of atomic horror, if anyone were to ask me.
 |
| Godzilla (1954) |
Horror really took a dark turn as social upheaval, loss of faith, and attacks on conservative values sprang up in the 1960s. Horror became more plausible. Evil moved out of the dark castles and scary old mansions of Europe and moved in right next door.
Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" (1960) and "Rosemary's Baby" (1968) really cap the sixties with that premise.
That realism and plausibility became even more pronounced in the 1970s, especially as Americans were losing faith and trust in American leadership. It seemed that institutions were failing society. There were even radical changes occurring in the Church. Nothing seemed as dependable as it used to be. But evil was still real.And it was very plausible.
So, horror got real, and filmmakers loosened a lot of restraints.
"The Exorcist" (1973), "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974), "Jaws" (1975), "Halloween" (1978), and "Alien" (1979) show how scary horror can be when given the chance. This era also introduced the trope that police can't always protect us and our neighborhoods.
When the 1980s came around, realism stuck around to a certain degree, but fantasy made a sort of comeback into horror.
While confidence seemed to be restored in our political system (the Reagan years, baby!), consumerism, materialism, body transformation, suburban anxiety, and the sins of our parents from the 1970s took over.
So, films such as "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984), "The Fly" (1986), "Hellraiser" (1987), and "Child's Play" (1988) were released during that period.
When it comes to the 1990s, I have trouble putting my finger on what the horror genre was trying to convey. Cold War anxiety seemed to fade a bit throughout the decade.
The Los Angeles riots took place in the 1990s, as did the Waco, Texas, siege—events that led to distrust of and heavy criticism toward law enforcement and government leadership.
The suburban paradise of the 1950s and 1960s was long gone. Neighborhoods deteriorated, traditional family structures and ideas were far from what they used to be, and youth violence and gang activity continued to rise all thanks in large part to the Great Society agenda of Lyndon Johnson—a sorry failure, indeed.
"Candyman" (1992), "Scream" (1996), "The Sixth Sense" (1999), "The Faculty" (1998), and "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) came out during all this turmoil.
America's fears and anxieties shifted considerably after the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Between 2001 and 2010, Americans seemed to think hard about random victimization, survival tactics, foreign threats, and surveillance. The world saw what unsympathetic, raw evil was capable of. Catastrophe can happen anywhere, anytime, unexpectedly!
And this certainly was reflected in the genre, with films like "Saw" (2004) and "Hostel" (2005).
That brings me to 2010 to 2020. The internet. Political polarization and division seem to be interwoven in our current social climate. The beginning of modern isolation also came about quickly, thanks in part to the introduction of the smartphone and social media. Constant accusations of racism. Radical progressivism taking over normalcy. And I did mention the internet, didn't I?
"Get Out" (2017), "Hereditary" (2018), "Midsommar" (2019), and "Us" (2019) were, perhaps, the biggest horror titles from that decade. These films depict isolation, societal polarization, and alleged racism.
So, here we are now in 2026. We're inundated with isolation as we all struggle to pry our eyes off our phones. And we're witnessing the scary reality of AI and the uncertainty of what it will bring about. One of its side effects is that it has brought about a large distrust of almost everything. It's as though we're continually being lied to. Scammers are constantly calling us or trying to get us to click on something. It's difficult to tell what's legitimate and what's not sometimes.
"The Exorcist" (1973), "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974), "Jaws" (1975), "Halloween" (1978), and "Alien" (1979) show how scary horror can be when given the chance. This era also introduced the trope that police can't always protect us and our neighborhoods.
When the 1980s came around, realism stuck around to a certain degree, but fantasy made a sort of comeback into horror.
While confidence seemed to be restored in our political system (the Reagan years, baby!), consumerism, materialism, body transformation, suburban anxiety, and the sins of our parents from the 1970s took over.
So, films such as "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984), "The Fly" (1986), "Hellraiser" (1987), and "Child's Play" (1988) were released during that period.
When it comes to the 1990s, I have trouble putting my finger on what the horror genre was trying to convey. Cold War anxiety seemed to fade a bit throughout the decade.
The Los Angeles riots took place in the 1990s, as did the Waco, Texas, siege—events that led to distrust of and heavy criticism toward law enforcement and government leadership.
 |
| "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984) |
"Candyman" (1992), "Scream" (1996), "The Sixth Sense" (1999), "The Faculty" (1998), and "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) came out during all this turmoil.
America's fears and anxieties shifted considerably after the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Between 2001 and 2010, Americans seemed to think hard about random victimization, survival tactics, foreign threats, and surveillance. The world saw what unsympathetic, raw evil was capable of. Catastrophe can happen anywhere, anytime, unexpectedly!
And this certainly was reflected in the genre, with films like "Saw" (2004) and "Hostel" (2005).
That brings me to 2010 to 2020. The internet. Political polarization and division seem to be interwoven in our current social climate. The beginning of modern isolation also came about quickly, thanks in part to the introduction of the smartphone and social media. Constant accusations of racism. Radical progressivism taking over normalcy. And I did mention the internet, didn't I?
"Get Out" (2017), "Hereditary" (2018), "Midsommar" (2019), and "Us" (2019) were, perhaps, the biggest horror titles from that decade. These films depict isolation, societal polarization, and alleged racism.
So, here we are now in 2026. We're inundated with isolation as we all struggle to pry our eyes off our phones. And we're witnessing the scary reality of AI and the uncertainty of what it will bring about. One of its side effects is that it has brought about a large distrust of almost everything. It's as though we're continually being lied to. Scammers are constantly calling us or trying to get us to click on something. It's difficult to tell what's legitimate and what's not sometimes.
As a society, we've already been struggling with a lack of trust in others. Everyone seems to be out to scam us.
Now, we can't even believe our own eyes. What's real? What isn't?
Our phones are such a convenient escape from reality. Trust in others isn't what it used to be.
I don't think we've ever been this isolated.
And two horror movies were released this year that press that painful wound of loneliness in our society in ways that seemed to strike a nerve. One was "Backrooms," which I'll get to later. The other is this one—"Obsession."
Now, we can't even believe our own eyes. What's real? What isn't?
Our phones are such a convenient escape from reality. Trust in others isn't what it used to be.
I don't think we've ever been this isolated.
And two horror movies were released this year that press that painful wound of loneliness in our society in ways that seemed to strike a nerve. One was "Backrooms," which I'll get to later. The other is this one—"Obsession."
