Courtesy of Focus Features
Audio By Carbonatix
We’re halfway through May, and we’re calling it: “Obsession” is probably going to be the best horror movie of the year.
It’s unlikely that the remaining seven months will give us a stronger contender for the title of “modern classic.” in “Obsession,” newcomer writer/director Curry Barker gives us a textbook example of elevated horror, a term that generally denotes a thriller that’s artistic, intelligent and emotional, transcending gore, gratuitous nudity and cheap jump scares. (Think films like “Get Out,” “Hereditary,” “It Follows” and “Weapons.”)
One of the reasons “Obsession” is going to be a big hit is that it’s smart as well as dazzlingly simple: A young man wishes for his friend and coworker to fall in love with him, and his wish comes true.
The young man is Bear, played understatedly by Michael Johnston, and the object of his affection is Nikki, portrayed by Tucson native Inde Navarrette in a star-making performance. He’s not quite brave enough to tell her how he feels, and as he’s shopping for a gift for her, he comes across an alternative. The One Wish Willow is a chintzy-looking trinket that promises to grant, well, one wish to the person who breaks it in half.
At the moment of truth, Bear can’t quite confess his feelings to Nikki and breaks the One Wish Willow instead. What happens next takes him from the friend zone to “The Twilight Zone,” and much like any episode of the TV classic, the granted wish has horrific consequences. And if you’re tired of the “Monkey’s Paw” trope, don’t worry one bit — Barker’s offering is something fresh, entertaining and absolutely terrifying.
Courtesy of Focus Features
Horror films about dating are often popular because they deal with common relationship issues: Who are we really involved with? What if you find yourself in an unhealthy relationship? How do we end something that’s wrong for us?
It’s likely that men and women will have slightly different perspectives on “Obsession,” and Barker himself has stated that he wants audiences to discuss the film after they leave the theater.
If you feel sorry for Bear, you’re not alone. To look at him one way, he’s the embodiment of “nice guys finish last,” an attractive-enough guy who’s just a little too shy to be direct about his feelings for Nikki. And to be fair, Bear never thought that the novelty wish stick would actually work.
If you don’t feel sorry for Bear, you’re also in good company. Instead of manning up, putting himself out there and declaring his feelings for Nikki, he makes a choice that removes her autonomy and consent. (The phrase “toxic masculinity” comes to mind.) And as the platitude goes, you’re free to make a choice, but you’re not free from the consequences of that choice. And in “Obsession,” the consequences are devastating to everyone.
In a film full of solid performances, Navarrette is far and away the standout. After starting out with smaller TV roles, her relative obscurity is on the way out. The balance she strikes between adorable hipster chick and unhinged monster as the film progresses is truly impressive.
At the beginning of “Obsession,” it seems unfathomable that Navarrette’s Nikki could be someone to fear. But we soon find that she can go from cuddly to creepy in a split second, and it’s thrilling to watch her facial expressions as she goes cuckoo. This is virtually “Fatal Attraction” mashed up with “The Exorcist” for the YouTube generation.
As a matter of fact, “Obsession” exists because of YouTube; Barker arrived on the big screen due to his work on social media. His early work includes the award-winning short “The Chair” and an acclaimed 62-minute film titled “Milk & Serial.” For the latter, Barker’s budget was a mere $800. At 2.3 million views, the viral sensation garnered the attention of big studios; Barker signed a reported $15 million deal with Focus Features after A24 and Neon lost the bidding war. Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions jumped on as executive producer of “Obsession.”
Focus Features will undoubtedly recoup its investment when “Obsession” officially hits theaters on May 15. (Select local theaters are starting early access screenings on Wednesday, May 13.) And with that, it’s highly recommended that you contribute to the inevitable box office success by seeing this in a theater. Though the film is terrifying, it’s also a lot of fun, and it’s best enjoyed with an audience that is bound to be quite reactive. The sound design is also riveting and should be experienced in a theater.
“Obsession” is a small-scale masterpiece, a taut, terrifying spin on a classic trope: Be careful what (or who) you wish for. It more than lives up to the hype, and I think Curry Barker is at the beginning of a successful career in horror. We’ve got a lot of 2026 left to go, but “Obsession” is currently the front-runner for horror movie of the year.
