Obsession Review
After hearing all the festival buzz about Obsession, I initially couldn’t believe it could have been what many claimed it to be. Given the cryptic bits and pieces that we got from Focus Features’s next horror outing, it seemed genuinely shocking that it could be what it was. I hadn’t heard of Curry Barker as much as I heard of other YouTuber-turned-filmmakers like Kane Parsons and the Philippou brothers. So, when Obsession took the horror movie community by storm, I’ll admit I was just a bit suspicious. Fortunately, my own reservations were put aside as Obsession truly is what many call it to be: absolutely twisted.
Obsession follows a small-towner, Bear (Michael Johnston), who’s deeply in love with his friend, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Although Bear wants to have a relationship with Nikki, she doesn’t feel the same way about it. When things take a turn one night, Bear decides to use the “One Trick Willow”, a toy that grants him only one wish. Unfortunately, the wish Bear makes leads him down a twisted monkey’s paw path of madness as Nikki becomes too in love with him.
What director Curry Barker gets right with Obsession is the thematic undertaking this film carries. Given the premise, Barker knows how integral it is to explore the ideas of parasocial tendencies and dive deep into the chaos of it all. In today’s culture, it’s completely gotten out of hand thanks to the ever-changing online world spurred on by overly passionate fans. However, Barker takes this idea to a more isolated and personal level through Bear and Nikki’s “relationship,” showing what both sides of that enabling and manipulation looks like.
Barker shapes Bear to be romantically desperate, somewhat manipulative, and even a reserved individual all at once. As much as Bear wants to keep his bond with Nikki, he also has his own boundaries, of which are too thin for him to maintain. From that first moment when Nikki makes a memorial using Bear’s dead cat to those times when they’re both in bed, it’s almost as if you want to feel bad for him. Yet, at the same time, he’s started this situation and, so he has to enable Nikki’s unhinged personality. To watch Bear go from a simple doom scrolling romantic to a tired, broken shell of what he sought to be is truly heartbreaking.
You have to give it to Barker’s unique vision and Johnston’s rooted performance because they do a great job making Bear an emotional mess of a protagonist. Although he is the protagonist, I doubt you could even call him that once the second act shows the lengths that Nikki will go. The things that Nikki is willing to do to keep Bear in love with her will constantly cause you to cringe because of the build-up that leads to these moments occurring. Barker and his team utilize solid shots, reverse movements, and the suspicious lighting to really put you on edge whenever Nikki’s on screen.
That said, Inde Navarrette’s performance in Obsession might genuinely be an all-timer in today’s time of horror movies. Navarrette, who many should be acquainted with after Superman and Lois, truly scares you with Nikki’s two-faced character. At one moment, Nikki can be a romantic love thrust for Bear to revel in and then a sinister force of nature everyone faces the next. There are also moments of outburst where the real Nikki is trying to break out of this demonic curse, which will definitely cause you to jump if you’re truly not prepared. There’s a particular moment in the second act where Bear and Nikki go to a party of Bear’s friend, Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) that shows all of this in the best way possible. Navarrette truly brings her all to Nikki and if she doesn’t win some kind of award after this, then I don’t know what we’re doing here.
Although Barker primarily focuses on the “bad” of Obsession, he does allow some leeway for Bear to actually be happy. This forms through the slow burn he has with his other friend, Sarah (Megan Lawless), a much more down-to-earth love interest. She genuinely wants Bear to have a good life and they’ve made plans together, but Bear mostly sees her as a friend. The moments we get between Bear and Sarah happily provide a peaceful space that allows us to resonate with what Bear’s going through. Through this little dynamic, it really makes us want to root for the two. However, when Barker slams the brakes on this relationship, he does so in the most gruesome way possible that seems fitting, yet sad, for a film like this.
Curry Barker’s Obsession lives up to the acclaim of being one of 2026’s best horror movies. Barker’s vision is absolutely twisted and emotionally brutal, which is proudly brought to life through Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston. The ways that Barker explores modern day romanticism and manipulative enabling are shocking in the best way possible. It might spark some heated debate, but this film certainly proves itself to be a memorable one for horror movie lovers.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Obsession releases in theaters on May 15.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.