The following review was made possibly by Popped attending an advanced screening of Obsession. Obsession releases in UK cinemas on May 15.
Director Curry Barker first rose to prominence through the horror-comedy duo “That’s a Bad Idea” alongside Cooper Tomlinson, creating short comedy and horror sketches for YouTube. As someone unfamiliar with Barker’s online work, I was pleasantly surprised by the confidence and strength of his theatrical feature debut.
A Wish Granted Turns Into a Nightmare
The film centres on Bear (Michael Johnstone) and Nikki (Inde Navarrette), alongside two additional friends who round out their friend group dynamic.
Bear harbours a hopeless crush on Nikki but finds himself frustratingly trapped in the friend zone. One day, he stumbles across a shop selling “One Wish Willows,” mysterious objects said to grant a person’s deepest wish once broken in two. Though Bear initially dismisses the idea as nonsense, he makes a wish anyway, and soon discovers it has come true. As Bear grows increasingly resentful of Nikki’s lack of romantic feelings for him, he wishes she would love him more than anyone else in the world. At first, everything appears ideal. But what begins as affection quickly spirals into something far more excessive and terrifying. It turns into an obsession.
This is a suffocating film from beginning to end. Barker builds suspense incredibly well. There are moments where you completely expect something terrible to happen, yet when it does, it still shocks because it pushes far beyond what you anticipated. The film is disturbing, relentless, and unafraid to go to uncomfortable extremes.
Bear is initially presented as someone the audience may sympathise with. Still, the film gradually reveals his complicity in the nightmare unfolding before him, revealing how dangerous a fragile male ego can be. There is something deeply chilling about the line ‘What’s so awful about being with me?’ I only wish the film had explored this idea even further, because it becomes increasingly horrifying as Bear continues to enable the situation around him. Even when things were “good”, it was always unsettling because the relationship was never formed out of the free will of two individuals. A deeper examination of these troubling, toxic undertones would have elevated the story even further.
Inde Navarrette Delivers a Haunting Performance
While the action, jump scares, and bloodshed all contribute to the film’s horror, it is ultimately the premise itself that feels the most terrifying.
Inde Navarrette delivers the film’s standout performance. She masterfully portrays Nikki’s unravelling obsession without ever tipping into a complete caricature or silliness. Navarrette brings an intensity that completely consumes the screen. Meanwhile, Michael Johnstone offers a quieter, more restrained performance that grows increasingly disturbing as the film progresses.
By the end, the film becomes genuinely heartbreaking, particularly for a young woman whose entire life is destroyed simply because she did not return the romantic feelings of one of her male friends. What begins with a deceptively simple premise, a single wish granted, evolves into a nerve-racking, darkly comedic, and claustrophobic horror film.
‘Obsession’ – Final Thoughts
Weapons received widespread praise last year, and I believe Obsession is just as effective as a fresh and unsettling blend of horror, comedy, and drama. At times, the film becomes so suffocating and claustrophobic that it leaves you genuinely petrified.
Obsession releases in cinemas on May 15. Check out the trailer below:
The Review
'Obsession'
Weapons received widespread praise last year, and I believe Obsession is just as effective as a fresh and unsettling blend of horror, comedy, and drama. At times, the film becomes so suffocating and claustrophobic that it leaves you genuinely petrified.