Obsession Review: Horror at its Finest
Curry Baker’s ‘Obsession’ is nothing short of horrifying… in all the best ways!
Horror is a genre that has seen a major growth in popularity over the last few years. There is always one available to watch in the theaters – and often times it is just a lukewarm watch. However, Obsession is a case of a horror film being outright brilliant.
In Obsession, Bear wishes on a supernatural trinket called the One Wish Willow for his coworker crush Nikki to fall madly in love with him — and she does. But what starts as a dream come true quickly turns into a nightmare, as Nikki’s love warps into something terrifying, obsessive, and dangerous.
This movie is director Curry Baker’s directorial debut – and God, did he enter the scene with a bang! It is written like a romcom love story, but quickly twists to a much darker turn with every romantic scene.
Obsession is a movie that does not hold back. Whenever you think it’s going to go somewhere, it takes you to that place and sometimes further. An easy way of describing this film is if ‘Pet Sematery met ‘Misery’, but Annie Wilkes was buried in the sematery instead of Gage Creed.
Certain parts of this film are genuinely horrifying. Actress Inde Navarrette is nothing but exceptional in her portrayal of Nikki. Here she plays both the victim and the villain. This is one of those casting decisions that should be considered amongst the greats. I will have her screams in the front of my mind for weeks to come, that’s for sure!
This movie’s expert depiction of loneliness and what it will do to someone is something that needs to be praised. Bear understands that he is unleashing something uniquely horrifying into this world. He understands it early on but chooses to ignore all the signs in hopes of being able to keep what he has – like she was his in the first place.
Barker is also very aware of this uniquely horrifying situation. Throughout the film’s runtime, he constantly toes the line of Bear’s fears of loneliness, while tugging on the fact that what lies on the other side is much worse.
This move is truly a love story in all of the darkest ways possible, and it is definitely heard in its score. Like any romcom, you have music whenever something romantic is happening. But here, the music subtly starts to warp as things turn sour. It is something I haven’t seen done this masterfully ever. It gives you a stomach-dropping feeling as you see Nikki’s face turn sour while the music follows her as if you know something horrific is about to happen.
The way the camera plays with the focus in this movie is also something that stands out. This is not a spoiler review, so you are safe, but I will give an example with some context. There are multiple scenes where the focus truly plays with your emotions, making you anticipate something will happen – and it often just never does... or does it? Watch this movie!
Obsession can easily be put in an all-time great in the horror films of the 2020’s category. With an exceptional cast, out-of-your-seat scares, and great music, I believe that this is a must-watch for any horror enthusiast out there. As one myself, this movie filled me with dread and anxiety throughout the entire runtime – and I could not ask for it any other way!