Obsession (2025)
Obsession is not to be confused with Brian De Palma's 1976 thriller, also titled Obsession, which is an effective homage to Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958). This new Obsession is an unnerving horror film about a wish gone wrong and is written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker.
Bear (Michael Johnston) is a hopeless romantic, and he has a mad crush on his music store co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Because of a major fear of rejection, Bear can't tell Nikki how he feels. Bear finds a "One Wish Willow" novelty toy at a strange New Age bookstore and decides to use it, wishing that Nikki would fall madly in love with him—boy, does she ever. The girl of Bear's dreams has become smothering and obsessed with him to a terrifying degree.
We've all had that crush on someone we just know would be perfect for us, but it turns out that we know nothing about them. Obsession takes that a step further, as the main character is trying to force this girl to be his by making the wish.
The performances here are pitch perfect, but the movie belongs to Navarrette. She is terrifying. Once she becomes possessed by the wish, the character's freak outs are unsettling. Director Barker wisely lets shots of Nikki and her creepy grin linger longer than they should, and it's just so uncomfortable.
This is the second film from Curry Barker, his first being Milk & Serial, which is also horror. Barker is probably best known for the YouTube sketch comedy channel That's a Bad Idea with comedy partner Cooper Tomlinson, so it's no surprise that Barker infuses Obsession with humor. However, it's very, very dark humor. Occasionally, Obsession is repetitive and somewhat depressing, but for much of its running time, the film is both funny and uncomfortable at the same time.
Obsession is a smart and effective horror film,
and it would be a shame if it gets lost in the shuffle because of its generic
title. One Wish Willow would have been a more enticing title, but it's
officially called Obsession. So, seek out Obsession.
