Director: Curry Barker
What is Obsession About?
Obsession is a supernatural psychological horror movie about a shy music store employee named Bear who has secretly harboured feelings for his childhood friend, Nikki, for years. Desperate to make her love him in return, he uses a mysterious object called the “One Wish Willow” to magically compel her feelings for him. At first, his wish seems perfect, but Nikki’s affection quickly transforms into a terrifying obsession. As Bear realises he has stripped Nikki of her free will, the relationship spirals into a nightmare filled with psychological tension, gore, and disturbing consequences.
My Personal Thoughts:
Obsession is one of the most uncomfortable horror movies I’ve ever watched, and I mean that as the highest compliment possible. From the very beginning, the film creates this suffocating tension that constantly leaves you wondering whether you should laugh, stay silent, or just stare in disbelief. So many moments are so painfully awkward and intense that my theatre erupted into nervous laughter. It’s rare for a horror movie to manipulate an audience this well, and this is exactly what Curry Barker’s “Obsession” does.
What makes this even more impressive is the fact that Curry Barker directed, wrote, and edited the film. That level of creative control is difficult to pull off successfully, but every aspect of Obsession feels carefully crafted and purposeful. The premise itself is brilliantly simple. The idea of wanting someone to love you is universally relatable, but the movie escalates that concept into something horrifying and completely unpredictable. It takes a feeling we all understand, and when you crank it up to 1000%, you’re left thinking it would have been much better off to leave things as they were instead of creating unnecessary circumstances.
The standout performance comes from Inde Navarrette as Nikki, who delivers one of the most chilling horror performances I’ve ever seen. Every movement, every line delivery, and every subtle shift in expression feels deeply unsettling. There’s something terrifyingly unnatural about the way she carries herself throughout the film, and you truly never know what psychotic thing she’s going to do next. The way she does subtle things like walking or turning off a shower handle all created tension that the entire theatre felt. I think her performance deserves Oscar award recognition. I’d use my own “One Wish Willow” just to give her the best leading actress in a film Oscar award.
Visually, the movie constantly reinforces its disturbing atmosphere. I especially loved the way Nikki is often framed in shadows, where you can barely make out her facial expressions. Those moments are incredibly effective because they force your imagination to fill in the blanks, making her presence even more menacing. Combined with the haunting score and the film’s oppressive atmosphere, the cinematography creates a feeling that something is always deeply wrong within the relationship.
Michael Johnston, as Bear, also delivers a strong performance as a character you immediately sympathise with. Even as his wish spirals out of control, there’s still something tragically human about his desire for a perfect life and his fear of ruining it. The underlying tone here is that Nikki is obviously the one who is obsessed, but you start to feel Bear’s eagerness to do whatever he can to make the relationship work, even with every crazy scenario that comes next, which makes him obsessed as well, and ultimately seen as the true villain.
Obsession is a rare film that I genuinely cannot find a single negative aspect. The acting, cinematography, editing, score, tension, and atmosphere all work perfectly together. Every creative decision lands exactly the way it needs to. Curry Barker absolutely nailed this film, and Obsession stands as one of the most original, disturbing, and unforgettable horror experiences I’ve seen in years.
Movie Stub Review:
I don’t ever like to overhype a movie, but looking at the early reviews and critic scores, it seems that everyone is on the same wavelength for this film. It truly delivers one of the most unsettling, disturbing, and white-knuckle feelings throughout the film that you get hooked on from the first act. I would recommend this film to anyone who is a huge horror and psychological thriller fan.
