MOVIE REVIEW: OBSESSION (R)
Grade: B
Online content creator Curry Barker (co-creator of the YouTube Channel, That’s a Bad Idea, a hub for various comedy sketches and a handful of horror-tinged projects including The Chair, Enigma, and the found footage feature, Milk and Serial) has taken the box-office by storm with Obsession, a Monkey’s Paw-inspired take on the modern dating world that gives entirely new meaning to the age old saying; “Be careful what you wish for.
As Obsession opens, we’re introduced to Bear (Michael Johnston), a lovesick twenty-something who wants nothing more than to have the affection of Nikki (Inde Navarrette), a good pal who seems pretty content in just keeping him in the friend zone. After dealing with a personal tragedy at home and coming to the conclusion that he doesn’t have much of a chance with the potential girl of his dreams, Bear inadvertently finds himself playing God after acquiring an apparent novelty item called a One Wish Willow and wishing that Nikki will love him more than anything else in the world. Well, to his shock, the wish comes true…Sort of. The problem is, that the aforementioned wish comes with several terrifying side effects as Nikki no longer appears to truly be the individual Bear initially fell for in the first place.
Curry Barker and team have created an unsettling cautionary tale that also serves as an often shocking commentary on co-dependency but while this is certainly a horror movie, it’s also a film filled with bursts of humor and awkward moments that really get under your skin. One of the more disturbing aspects of this movie is the idea that Nikki is essentially held against her own will while this deadly courtship is taking place. This is to say that she’s literally trapped inside her own body and very much aware that she’s been taken over. In that regard, Obsession plays a little bit like a possession story. Think of it as a fusion of The Exorcist, (500) Days of Summer, and Big.
Michael Johnston is solid as the shy and unlucky-in-love Bear, but at the heart of the film is a tour de force performance by Inde Navarrette. As Nikki, Navarrette commits 100% in a turn that is physical, emotional, and unhinged in equal measure. She really goes for it, here, making for an unforgettable character that will have you gasping one moment and laughing the next. For all of the freakish movements, unnerving frowns, and spontaneous outbursts of violence, there’s also something incredibly tragic and sympathetic in the way that Navarrette brings Nikki to life. Simply put, she’s fantastic!
There are things in Obsession that are a tiny bit lacking. It would have been nice to get to know some of these twentysomethings a little bit better before the shit hits the proverbial fan and truth be told, some of these characters would have benefitted from being a tad more likable. Additionally, one might argue that the happenings that make up the build of the film do tend to sometimes get a little bit redundant. That said, the positives in Obsession really do outweigh the negatives. In addition to an outstanding Navarrette performance and a pitch perfect (albeit devastating) ending, there’s plenty of nuance throughout. While Barker delivers on the horror and humor front, he also provides a lot to chew on. For example, one of the more thoughtful aspects of this movie is the fact that Nikki actually asks Bear if he has feelings for her at the beginning of the film. Given his lack of confidence and his fear that she won’t reciprocate in terms of her feelings, however, he lies to her and suggests he just likes her as a friend. Had he been honest about the way he felt from the outset, it stands to reason that Nikki might have been open to taking their friendship to another level. Instead, he conceals his true feelings, makes the wish, and soon realizes the horrible mistake that he’s made.
It’s clear that I’m not necessarily the target audience for this movie as I’m 57 years old and have been happily married for quite some time. This is to say that I consider myself fortunate that I’m not in a position where I have to navigate the perils and pitfalls that come with the modern dating world. That said, you don’t have to be a twenty-something to find some of the themes of this film instantly relatable because most of us have probably been in a position where that person we thought was perfect for us was simply out of reach.
Again, there’s a lot to mull over in the often scary, sometimes funny, and altogether tragic (and fittingly brutal) horror show that is Obsession, a movie in which even the very title is open to interpretation. Barker and team have done a terrific job with the character work and the world building by way of a film that poses plenty of provocative questions about dating, relationships, and that complicated thing called love.
