Obsession

Curry Barker's supernatural horror thriller is fascinating on a generational level, which kind of makes up for how dull and repetitive it is at times. The story of looser twentysomething who, by way of a magical wish delivery device, is able to make the girl he has a crush on fall desperatly in love with him, would have been sooooo different if made by and for Gen-X. Had this film come out when I was young, the main character would have been instantly psyched that his wish came true only to quickly discover that the situation is not at all what he actually wanted; wackiness would ensue, and in the end he would have learned a lesson and become a better person. In this Gen-Z story, the protagonist is terrified into an almost permanent state of inaction from bringing to end. Racked with guilt the moment the magical event occurs, and paranoid that he has done the wrong thing, Michael Johnston's Bear never stops worrying about whether or not he's a problematic guy long enough to pursue what would be every normal person's first attempt at reversing the situation. We know this pathetic fucker is a bad guy because he doesn't even consider the obvious remedy until there's a body count, and his guilt doesn't prevent him from taking advantage of the situation (he just doesn't get to enjoy it). He lets himself off the hook by rationalizing that he really has no choice but to give in to what Nikki demands of him, but neither he nor we fully buy it.

The way this character is written might make him unplayable, but regardless, Johnston can't make Bear sympathetic, relatable, or interesting. From the very first scene, we just don't like spending time with this guy, even though he seems more palatable than his buddy, Ian (Cooper Tomlinson). On the other hand, Inde Navarrette, playing the object of Bear's obsession, his co-worker and childhood friend Nikki, is an absolute revelation. This actress easily gives one of the best performances of the year. Even before anything happens, I found myself thinking, wow, this newcomer has a serious rapport with the camera. But once she's actually required to embody the specifics of what her character goes through... Holy Shit. She's incredible. I'll be shocked if Navarrette is not in my Top-5 Best Actresses of 2026.

The situation Nikki finds herself in is as intentionally repetitive as it is for Bear. But Navarrette is able to play every scene differently, giving the audience the feeling of being trapped but causing us to sit forward in our chairs, wondering how she's going to react in each new situation. Would this film have worked better if it had been told partially from Nikki's perspective? It's hard to say, but I think it would start to feel like it was ripping off Get Out if we experienced Nikki's perspective from her "sunken place." Instead, we are granted access to her character's true feelings only once, and it's a powerful and painful moment. This scene and many of the graphic sequences of violence and gore drive home the movie's themes of losing one's autonomy and bodily integrity with committed vigor. I can't say I'll be rushing out to see Obsession again soon, but it left me thinking about it for far far longer than most "elevated horror" movies that attempt to take on weighty themes.