Obsession

I'll be honest with you: I went into Obsession completely cold. I knew nothing about it except that it was a little indie horror film that had somehow become a cultural phenomenon. And maybe that's the best way to experience it — because this movie, dear reader, is a gut-punch. It's the kind of film that makes you sit in the dark after the credits roll, staring at nothing, trying to process what you've just witnessed.

This is the story of Bear (Michael Johnston), a lonely music store employee who, after a devastating personal loss, stumbles upon a cursed object called the "One Wish Willow." In a moment of desperation, he uses it to make his co-worker and friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette) fall in love with him. And here's the thing: it works. But not in the way you'd expect. Nikki's affection quickly turns into something obsessional, erratic, and utterly terrifying. What begins as a supernatural romance becomes one of the most unsettling horror films I've seen in years.

Direction & Visual Language

Let's talk about Curry Barker. This 26-year-old former YouTuber directs with a confidence that most seasoned filmmakers would envy. He understands that true horror isn't just about jump scares — it's about atmosphere, about dread that creeps into your bones. The film is shot in a nearly 4:3 aspect ratio, giving it an intimate, almost claustrophobic feel. It's a bold choice that pays off beautifully, making every frame feel uncomfortably close to the characters and their unraveling world. Barker's use of sound is equally brilliant; the retro-inspired synth score by Chris James and Tyler Sly isn't just background music — it's a character in itself, thrumming with anxiety and impending doom.

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Michael Johnston as Bear, a man haunted by his own wish

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Nikki's very public breakdown — either she was breaking out, or something was keeping her in

Performance

But the soul of this film rests on the shoulders of its two leads, and they deliver in ways that left me speechless. Inde Navarrette's performance as Nikki is nothing short of a revelation. She snaps between a terrifying, obsessive "yandere" and a panicked, apologetic young woman trapped inside her own body. It's a performance that demands you watch her every moment, even when you want to look away. Navarrette doesn't just play the horror — she embodies it, and she makes you understand the tragedy of a character who is both a victim and a source of terror.

Michael Johnston, as Bear, is equally compelling in a very different way. He plays a character who is selfish, cowardly, and painfully human. He's the kind of protagonist who makes terrible decisions because he's too afraid to be honest with himself or others. Johnston never flinches from showing Bear's desperation, his willful blindness, and his eventual moral collapse. You feel for him even as you want to shake him. The supporting cast — Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and even a memorably cast Andy Richter — all add layers of tension and realism to this nightmare.

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The One Wish Willow — a source of terror and tragedy

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A moment of quiet tension in Curry Barker's horror masterpiece