Obsession Asks: What If Your Demon Was Love?

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W.W. Jacobs’ classic horror story, “The Monkey’s Paw,” was written in 1902, but it still resonates today. Maybe that’s because our world, despite all its technology and promises of openness, is full of stories about wishes gone wrong. It’s never been easier to try and change our lives, but it’s also never felt more risky. The new horror film, Obsession, directed by Curry Barker, takes a simpler approach to this idea. The film centers on Bear (Michael Johnston), a quiet young man who has a strong crush on his coworker, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). He wishes she would love him above all else, and then finds himself in a nightmare when his wish is granted – Nikki becomes dangerously obsessed and completely dependent on him.

Bear isn’t very bright, making it difficult to see him as either a hero or a villain. Perhaps that’s intentional – he seems like one of those well-meaning people who unintentionally cause problems. When he finally has a chance to tell Nikki how he feels, he loses his nerve. Instead, he makes a wish on a silly gift, a “One-Wish Willow” – a small branch you break while making a wish. Suddenly, Nikki, who was always strong and independent, becomes completely infatuated with him, acting out of character and relentlessly pursuing him, all to win his affection. This situation might have been a typical romantic comedy in the past, but the author realizes that today, it feels much more like a horror story.

A truly unsettling film about obsessive love could be fantastic – something Rod Serling might have tackled – but this movie doesn’t quite reach that potential. Instead, it quickly becomes a typical horror story with predictable tropes: Nikki’s adoration turns frightening, involving violent outbursts, unsettling behavior, and unpredictable mood swings. The film also features a bizarre subplot involving Bear’s dead cat, leaving viewers to wonder what this movie even considers to be love.

Essentially, this film explores themes of obsession and control, presented as a possession story without any supernatural elements. There’s a hint that the real Nikki is trapped within an obsessive version of herself, consumed by a manufactured desire for Bear, but this idea isn’t fully developed. The film also touches on the difference between love and desire, but doesn’t explore it deeply – even a brief sex scene feels strangely detached. Despite a straightforward premise, the film reveals that Nikki’s feelings aren’t love, but a harmful need to control and possess. Sadly, these potentially powerful ideas are ultimately overshadowed by familiar horror tropes.

The interesting ideas in Obsession might not be fully realized because of a central contradiction: the film presents Bear as a menacing figure but hesitates to fully embrace that darkness. He essentially holds Nikki captive, but his instant remorse and attempts to fix things allow him to remain a flawed, even sympathetic, character. Meanwhile, Nikki is treated as the ‘monster,’ though with moments of vulnerability. Truly resolving this conflicting portrayal would require a more skilled and nuanced director.

Despite its flaws, Obsession is compelling because of Esme Navarrette’s performance. She convincingly portrays Nikki’s intense shifts between affection and anguish, making her erratic behavior feel consistent even though the film doesn’t offer much explanation. Director Barker smartly focuses the story on the dynamic between Nikki and Bear, which builds a feeling of suffocating tension. Though it lacks extensive violence or typical scares (aside from one particularly shocking moment near the end), Obsession effectively creates the sense of powerlessness that defines great horror – you desperately want to look away, but you’re compelled to see what happens next.

Barker is a new filmmaker who gained popularity on YouTube and is now making horror movies. He’s one half of the comedy duo That’s a Bad Idea, and his background in sketch comedy adds some unexpected, and sometimes silly, humor to his film, Obsession. (There’s even a funny detail of a helpline within the movie, with a clearly bored operator.) Barker previously directed the found-footage horror film Milk & Serial, and is slated to reboot The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It makes sense that he started with comedy, as coming up with a strong, original idea is often the hardest part of making a horror film these days. Obsession has an interesting premise, though the execution isn’t fully developed. However, the central idea – that intense, obsessive love can be damaging – is compelling. One audience member described it as “the scariest thing I’ve ever seen,” and his friends seemed to agree.

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2026-05-15 16:54