REVIEW: 'Obsession' will tear you apart
Obsession, from director Curry Barker (Milk & Serial), is a brilliantly twisted take on the classic Monkey’s Paw parable, where a strange object grants wishes in the worst way possible. In this case, the object is a “One Wish Willow” novelty toy that Bear Bailey (Michael Johnston, Teen Wolf) uses to make his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette, Superman & Lois) love him more than anyone else in the world.
As Bear, Johnston is the sort of neurotic, insecure guy that, in a traditional rom-com, would probably get the girl after a montage of trial and error, complete with a supportive friend group in tow. Unfortunately, this isn’t a rom-com, and Bear has clearly never seen a horror movie (or, you know, Aladdin) or else he’d know that (literal) emotional manipulation and magic rarely play well together. Thus, what begins as Bear's dream come true quickly devolves into a living nightmare.
When we meet Nikki, we already know about Bear’s infatuation—her girl-next-door charm is immediately obvious, and the filmmakers lose no time in highlighting the qualities that made Navarette a standout on Superman & Lois. That likability gets turned on its head soon enough, as Navarette delivers a diabolical performance in a horror debut for the ages. Now, we’ve seen obsessive behavior in these types of stories before, but it’s rarely been executed with this level of conviction from one so young—through increasingly unhinged behavior and deranged acts of affection, Navarette commands the screen with impressive range and confidence.
The supporting characters are rounded out by Bear and Nikki’s friends, Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless). While characters in horror films are almost always oblivious, the degree to which Bear is oblivious to the emotions of those around him would be funny if it wasn’t so pitiful. In any case, the four teens work at Sarah’s father’s (Conan O'Brien’s sidekick, Andy Richter!) music store, counting down the days until it’s time to start college and the next phase of their lives.
Obsession places the audience in a state of perpetual unease, exacerbated by visuals that force you to question everything you see. Indeed, some of the film’s most terrifying (and effective) sequences are low-key affairs, consisting of little more than Nikki framed in darkness, her voice and movements bastardizing the idea of a lover’s intimacy. There are few things in life more terrifying than not knowing the person you’re sleeping next to, but having said person watch you in the dark from across the room probably counts.
Barker (who also serves as editor) frames the film’s events through Bear’s inherent insecurities, with the young man’s desperate need for Nikki’s affections (somewhat) justifying his willingness to overlook her growing peculiarities. By the time he’s trapped in a “relationship” of his own making, Bear’s pride and fear of being alone override his common sense; even when he realizes that the person he’s with isn’t entirely Nikki, he would rather cling to his bad decisions than admit to anything approaching reality. It’s a glaring indictment of blind infatuation, as well as a terrifyingly accurate (and relatable) take on youthful ignorance.
To say more would be doing the script (also written by Barker) a disservice, as seeing Obsession with as little forewarning as possible is honestly the best possible way to experience it. Suffice it to say, inasmuch as Bear is framed as the curse’s main recipient, he’s hardly the main victim here, and, as audiences will undoubtedly be discussing the specifics for years to come, one fact that isn’t up for debate is that Obsession may very well be the best horror film of 2026, in addition to being one hell of a fun date movie.
Ain’t love grand?
Obsession opens in Philippine cinemas on May 27. Watch the official trailer below.
