Obsession
Rating: 5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
In this modern world of cinema, it is easy to feel very bleak about where the future of horror is heading. Many horror movies that come out anymore usually garner the same responses and have forced audiences to lower their expectations before going into a theater and being delivered the same old jump scares and plot devices. However, in this world where it seems like horror is on top for all of the wrong reasons, filmmakers like Curry Barker break onto the scene to deliver a picture that genuinely terrifies the viewer. I truly believe that Obsession, which is simply taking over the world right now, is the closest we have gotten to a perfect horror film in years, and I think this will easily go down as not only the best horror flick of the year, but perhaps one of the best movies we will get in 2026.
The story follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a hopeless romantic who is too afraid to talk to the girl he has had a crush on for years, his best friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette). When he finally thinks he is able to work up the courage to tell her how he really feels, he decides to hold back, leaving her wondering why one of her closest friends is acting so strange around her. Down on his luck and feeling like he can't really lose anything else, Bear decides to snap the "One Wish Willow", a gag gift that promises to grant one wish to the person who uses it. However, that simple wish turns into a deadly nightmare, one that may be irreversible.
To start, I simply want to applaud Barker for every single thing he was able to accomplish here. This is the epitome of an indie horror film that succeeds in every possible way. Made on a shoestring budget of $750,000, this film has already grossed over $30 million at the time of writing this review. I'm hoping this is a lesson to major studios that bigger doesn't necessarily equal better, and we need more horror filmmakers like Barker working in this industry. There is no doubt in my mind that Barker will go on to become a major voice of this generation of filmmakers, and I adore the fact that we are here to witness the start of what will hopefully be a long and fruitful career for him.
With that being said, he does a fantastic job of crafting this story and bringing it to life on the big screen. Inspired by one of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror segments, Barker was able to create such a terrifying plot and cast of characters that will chill every audience member to the bone. From the opening shot to the closing credits, his film has such an unnerving and dreadful tone to it that he is able to build on and fester through each scene of this picture. The movie never loses steam; in fact, the movie starts to get into your head and freak you out more and more as it goes on. Barker demonstrates how he is able to grab ahold of his audience and keep them in his grasp until he is done scaring the living daylights out of them.
This is reflected through his various collaborators on this film as well. From the genuinely haunting cinematography by Taylor Clemons to the uncomfortable score from Rock Burwell to the brilliant makeup and special effects by their team of incredibly talented artists, each of these aspects work hand-in-hand to make this film fill the viewer's mind and haunt them days after watching this picture. I saw this movie for the first time a few days ago, and I am still constantly living in fear at home about who is around the corner. Each of these aspects simply pop off the screen in more ways than one, and it is rare to have a horror film to have such unique and special attributes to it like this movie does. This feels fresh and new, and it is the breath of fresh air the horror genre sincerely needed.
However, with all of this being said, Navarrette proves herself to be one of the most important young actresses working today in horror. Her performance as Nikki will go down as one of the best performances of this year, and this could easily be held in regard as one of the best horror performances of the last twenty years. Navarrette simply understands how to be insanely terrifying and how to use her range of emotions to inflict such terror onto the viewer. It's bewildering to me how she is able to fluctuate her moods and reactions throughout this entire movie, and I am genuinely scared of this performance. You can easily brush off many horror performances after you watch them, but this one sticks with you for days.
At the same time, the performance from Johnston is simply brilliant. He does a great job going toe-to-toe with Navarrette throughout the film, and there is so much complex simplicity in his performance that he makes it look effortless. The viewer goes through a rollercoaster journey with the character of Bear, and Johnston is there guiding the viewer through these emotions. The supporting cast of Cooper Tomlinson (who is a longtime collaborator with Barker through their YouTube careers) and Megan Lawless are great as well, and their characters add so much to the story of Nikki and Bear. Their presences are felt greatly in certain scenes, and there are a couple of moments that I'm sure will make them stars (just watch yourself in cars at night).
Obsession is a brilliant film, and I'm incredibly pleased to see the reaction the movie has been getting over the last couple of weeks. This is the perfect example of the type of horror movies we need in this day and age, and I can't wait to see where Barker's career takes him next. This movie blew all of my expectations out of the water, and I genuinely can't wait to see this again, even though I know I will be scared to go anywhere days after watching it.
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