‘Obsession’ Has All The Makings Of A Modern Horror Classic

There was a point during Obsession where I felt like I was practically suffocating – and I mean that as a huge compliment. It’s been a while since I’ve walked out of a horror movie feeling equally rattled and entertained by what I’d seen, but 26-year-old Curry Barker’s feature debut does just that as it walks along the knife’s edge of comedy and horror with incredible, mean-spirited panache. 

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Obsession has all the ingredients necessary to become a modern horror classic in the years to come. It would be easy to pin all that on Inde Navarrette’s career-making performance, but so too does writer-director Barker’s unbelievable control over exactly what makes a fantastic horror movie. 

Bear (Michael Johnston) is hopelessly in love with his co-worker Nikki (Navarrette). Instead of confessing to her how he feels – despite the encouragement of friend Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and the affection of his friend Sarah (Megan Lawless) – Bear opts to use a mysterious “One Wish Willow” from a new age shop and asks for one simple thing: for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world.

Strangely, it seems to work. Nikki transforms from a friendly, somewhat flirtatious colleague into a woman totally possessed by desire for Bear. It’s everything he could’ve wanted at first, but as Bear begins a relationship with her, Nikki’s behaviour grows increasingly erratic and, to put it very mildly, quite concerning. Horror ensues. 

Be careful who you wish for…

It’s really quite remarkable how effortlessly Obsession builds anxiety in its first act. Bear’s plight is initially relatable as he attempts to decide whether or not he should confess his feelings to Nikki. Michael Johnston’s performance here is superb, perfectly capturing the cringe that can only come from withheld feelings in a way that genuinely had me wracked with anxiety. 

Having already found its mark, Obsession then switches the kind of tension it’s building with remarkable ease. Barker finds where the limits of our cringe reside and uses it as the starting line for building the dread of what comes next. The seamlessness of this transition is a real testament to his skill as a filmmaker as he begins to create knots in our stomachs while sprinkling in some really funny jokes – the balance between humour and horror reminds me of Zach Cregger’s work. 

The needle with which he sews is the incredible Inde Navarrette in a truly standout performance. Starting as a girl-next-door kind of character, Nikki becomes a truly terrifying presence in Obsession thanks to Navarrette. As the character oscillates between acts of love bombing, screaming and increasingly strange acts, Navarrette brings her A-game in a breakout performance that’s likely to make her a star.

Obsession is smart, scary and entertaining all at once

Besides being home to a truly sensational performance, there’s something about the way Nikki is written in the film that’s terrifying to behold. Yes, her increasingly erratic and dangerous behaviour is genuinely scary – achieved mostly without jumpscares – but I found the most chilling element was in how Bear reacted to her character, 

Though initially seeming to be an archetypical “good guy”, Bear soon reveals himself to be genuinely disrespectful of Nikki’s personhood. Whether she’s genuinely having a mental episode or is indeed possessed by some strange supernatural force, the person Bear’s in a relationship with is not the Nikki he fell in love with – but because she looks like her, he doesn’t seem to mind all that much. 

It’s consistently unnerving stuff, and that mounting sense of dread is exactly what makes Obsession so disturbing and entertaining at once. Sensational performances, a tight script and an exceptional control over the art of filmmaking make Barker’s film the full package – if horror is your thing, you need to go see this immediately. 

★★★★½

Obsession is in cinemas now.