OBSESSION
7.4 / 10
Obsession is a brutal watch. But Inde Navarrette breaks through with a star-making turn and Curry Barker’s skill is unmistakable. Just be prepared for what you’re getting into.
This week we’re talking Obsession, the latest from Curry Barker, who made waves with the found-footage horror film Milk & Serial, released on YouTube in 2024. I’ll admit, I didn’t know much about this movie or Barker going in, but I left impressed by the visceral intensity of his storytelling.
Bear is a pathetic guy. He’s in love with his good friend Nikki and has been brainstorming ways to confess his crush while avoiding the dreaded friend zone. His buddy Ian warns him not to drop that emotional grenade during trivia night, but circumstances create the perfect opportunity when Bear drives Nikki home. Of course, he blows it, pathetic fool that he is.
Instead, he grabs a One Wish Willow novelty item – basically a Monkey’s Paw, for those familiar with classic horror, or The Simpsons — and wishes for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world.
You can see where this is going.
Inde Navarrette is intensely effective as Nikki, portraying the split personality of both the possessed and obsessed version of the character and the real person trapped beneath the Willow’s spell. The film is clear-eyed about the moral dynamic at the center of the story: Nikki is the victim, and Bear is not a misunderstood romantic. He’s a coward who keeps choosing self-preservation over honesty, decency, and accountability.
That clarity gives the film a strong narrative spine, reinforced by its pervasive sense of creeping dread. If anything, I wanted a little more exploration of the larger theme underneath it all: male entitlement, and the way men manipulate female trust under the guise of love.
Before I give my score, I want to say: this just wasn’t my kind of movie. As effective as the film is, the second half became increasingly unpleasant for me to sit through. The nihilism of the curse and its consequences — signaled pretty heavily from the jump — made the film feel more focused on brutality and unease than the story. I can respect the execution without wanting to spend much time in that world.
My score: 7.4 out of 10.
This week we’re talking Obsession, the latest from Curry Barker, who made waves with the found-footage horror film Milk & Serial, released on YouTube in 2024. I’ll admit, I didn’t know much about this movie or Barker going in, but I left impressed by the visceral intensity of his storytelling.
Bear is a pathetic guy. He’s in love with his good friend Nikki and has been brainstorming ways to confess his crush while avoiding the dreaded friend zone. His buddy Ian warns him not to drop that emotional grenade during trivia night, but circumstances create the perfect opportunity when Bear drives Nikki home. Of course, he blows it, pathetic fool that he is.
Instead, he grabs a One Wish Willow novelty item – basically a Monkey’s Paw, for those familiar with classic horror, or The Simpsons — and wishes for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world.
You can see where this is going.
Inde Navarrette is intensely effective as Nikki, portraying the split personality of both the possessed and obsessed version of the character and the real person trapped beneath the Willow’s spell. The film is clear-eyed about the moral dynamic at the center of the story: Nikki is the victim, and Bear is not a misunderstood romantic. He’s a coward who keeps choosing self-preservation over honesty, decency, and accountability.
That clarity gives the film a strong narrative spine, reinforced by its pervasive sense of creeping dread. If anything, I wanted a little more exploration of the larger theme underneath it all: male entitlement, and the way men manipulate female trust under the guise of love.
Before I give my score, I want to say: this just wasn’t my kind of movie. As effective as the film is, the second half became increasingly unpleasant for me to sit through. The nihilism of the curse and its consequences — signaled pretty heavily from the jump — made the film feel more focused on brutality and unease than the story. I can respect the execution without wanting to spend much time in that world.
My score: 7.4 out of 10.