Obsession (2025):
Director: Curry Barker
Screenwriter: Curry Barker
Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless
The Plot: Cringing loser Bear (Michael Johnston) just can’t quite bring himself to ask out his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette ). On a whim, he uses a “One Wish Willow” purchased from a magic shop and discovers that it actually works. Now, Nikki loves him to the point of obsession. Or does she? Could there be darker forces at play here? Does Bear even care as long as he gets what he wants?
Critics and audiences really went nuts for this one when it came out. Snob that I am, I went in with low expectations. Turns out the consensus was right this time. Like Backrooms, this film was an unexpected box office smash from a young director fresh out of YouTube. Unlike Backrooms, Obsession is actually a good movie. Curry Barker’s tale of wishes gone awry and demonic possession is a lean, nasty piece of work in exactly the way it needs to be.
Part of what initially turned me off from Obsession was its premise. Using magic to force someone to love you is so obviously wrong that I didn’t see the appeal in watching some sweaty twerp learn that lesson. What I hadn’t counted on was director and screenwriter Curry Barker’s unwavering commitment to the bit. Bear isn’t some hopeless romantic, he just sees himself that way. When Nikki abruptly “falls in love” with and starts dating the hapless protagonist, everyone else assumes that he’s taking advantage of her while she’s in the midst of a mental health crisis. Her increasingly erratic actions do nothing to dispel this notion. The revelation that Obsessed Nikki is a demonic entity possessing her body in order to fulfill the terms of the wish while the real Nikki languishes somewhere that sounds a lot like Hell doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. The shock is that Bear finds out and still just wants to have Obsessed Nikki tone down her behavior.
As Bear learns more about the price Nikki is paying for his wish, it becomes clear that the girl never really mattered to him as anything more than a prize. The film contains some truly creepy scenes and gnarly gore, but its darkest quality is Bear’s total lack of conscience. Like many good “be careful what you wish for” tales, Obsession revels in punishing those who would take shortcuts or impose their will on others. Make a wish and get wrecked, idiot.
Barker sets the film in the insular, quasi-incestuous world of a tight-knit group of 20-something losers who are really only friends because they’re still living in their hometown. We’ve seen these relationships play out on screen innumerable times: The Shy Loser pines after the Cool Girl. Aided by his Bro Friend, he starts dating the Cool Girl under false pretenses, only to realize that he belongs with the Shy Artistic Girl. Obsession isn’t making a grand statement about dating and friendship dynamics or toxic softboi masculinity, but these elements are well-considered and effectively used to ground the supernatural horror elements.
Bear may be a greedy, amoral creep, but he’s the ideal protagonist for this movie. Michael Johnston plays him with just the right level of pathetic desperation. He’s the kind of guy with such low self-esteem that he becomes a drag to be around, more of an irritation than an object of pity. He’s not so annoying that the movie becomes a chore to watch, but you’re not exactly rooting for the guy. Cooper Tomlinson and Megan Lawless round out the friend group with characters who are initially more appealing. The four main actors have good chemistry with each other.
The real star of the film is Inde Navarrette as Nikki. She gives a natural, appealing performance in the early scenes; it’s clear why Bear likes her. Navarrette’s work as Obsessed Nikki is next level. I can’t remember the last time a demonic possession was this surprising and unsettling. Most onscreen demons now either borrow from The Exorcist or Supernatural. Both approaches feel played out at this point. Obsessed Nikki genuinely feels like some thing pretending to be human, an alien intelligence barely contained by the rules of the wish. Obsession mines this for plenty of dark, dark humor, but I actually found Obsessed Nikki frightening. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a talented actress and a director who has a handle on tone.
Barker and Tomlinson got their start on YouTube with their sketch comedy channel “that’s a bad idea”. I’ve watched a handful of their videos. Some are funnier than others, but they all display a knack for quickly establishing tone and toying with audience expectations. Like Jordan Peele (Key & Peele) and Zack Cregger (The Whitest Kids U’Know) before him, Barker’s background in comedy seems to have allowed him to hone his skills as a writer and filmmaker. I suspect that he will have a similarly impressive career.
