This almost always happens with the horror genre, but every now and then, you catch one that you know instantly that it’s going to be a film everyone is talking about. Last year, we all felt that way about Weapons the moment we saw it. And this year, I believe that movie is Obsession. Focus Features should have a hit on its hands with Curry Barker’s feature debut, as it’s a film that everyone on some level can relate to. We all know the ominous phrase “Be careful what you wish for”, and have felt its stinging effects one way or another. But also, we all know what it’s like to have feelings for someone and not have those feelings returned. As much as we might wish things were different, they aren’t likely to change. But what if that wish does come true, only for it to turn into a nightmare?
Obsession reminded me of those old Wishmaster horror movies, where someone’s wish is granted but in a twisted, evil way. Michael Johnston plays Bear, a shy, soft-spoken worker at a music store who is crushing hard on his friend Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette. Bear seems like a good guy, but the kind who almost always ends up in the Friend Zone. He might even suspect this himself, which is why he can’t bring himself to confess his feelings. His charismatic pal Ian, played by Cooper Tomlinson, warns Bear against saying anything. And then there’s Sarah, played by Megan Lawless, who might hold feelings for Bear if he’d open up his eyes and notice it. All of them work in the same music store (run by Andy Richter!!), and hang out together, so there’s no escaping the awkwardness.
Things take a turn towards the dark side when Bear buys Nikki a gift, a novelty trinket called a One Wish Willow. Too shy to admit his feelings for her, Bear decides to use the item for himself, wishing that Nikki loved him more than anyone else in the world. The charm works…too well. Her affection quickly turns to obsession on a Hellish scale. We’re talking not even being able to go to the bathroom alone, much less a night out with the guys.
What’s going to make Obsession the topic of some interesting conversation on the ride home is the way Barker’s script forces you to reevaluate your feelings for these characters. As guys, we can sympathize with Bear on some level. He’s just a timid dude with a crush, who made a stupid wish that he had no idea would come true. When Nikki’s possessive nature, spurred on by the wish, begins to destroy his life, we see him as the unintended victim of this wish gone wrong.
At the same time, Nikki is utterly robbed of any agency to make choices for herself. Her friends notice it. Once a woman with a fiery, rebellious spirit, her identity only becomes about pleasing Bear and being near him. We’ve seen people in our lives enter relationships and lose part of themselves in the arrangement, but nothing quite like this. We feel bad for both Nikki and Bear…up until the point when he starts to just roll with it. He likes the attention. And when opportunities arise to do something about it, he always proves what a weak, pathetic loser he really is.
Obsession is more tense than gory, ratcheting up the nervous energy in an effectively slow burn. But don’t be fooled; this movie goes to some horrific places, and as the wish spins wildly out of control, so does the violence explode in extreme ways. Barker doesn’t screw around, and gives you no warning when the nastiest stuff is going to happen. Don’t even bother trying to shield your eyes because it will always catch you off guard.
With complex performances from all of the young cast (none of which I was really aware of), Obsession is going to be the launching pad for a lot of careers. That includes Barker, an internet comedian whose Milk & Serial short became a viral sensation. Obsession has the potential to have exactly the same impact. It’s the kind of horror that you want to see with as many friends as possible, then spend the rest of the night talking about how crazy that shit was.
Obsession opens in theaters on May 15th.
