Every once in a while, there seems to be a film that comes out of nowhere that takes theaters and audiences by storm. This time it’s Obsession, the new horror movie from Blumhouse that seemingly everyone is seeing and talking about, and for good reason. Led by its strong lead performances, impressive cinematography, and immersive sound design, Obsession is easily one of the best films of the year so far and one of the best horror films of recent times.
Directed by a relatively unknown Curry Barker, Obsession follows Bear, a hopeless romantic who is in love with his childhood friend, Nikki. After a night out with her and a few other friends, Bear fumbles a chance to confess his feelings to her. Frustrated with himself, Bear uses a trinket he bought at a store called a One Wish Willow to make a wish that Nikki would love him more than anyone else. It immediately works, but eventually to a horrifying extent.
Obsession is not your typical horror film, mainly because it’s ultimately a bleak horror tragedy. There are some jump scares and a general feeling of uneasiness throughout, so it is effective in the scares department. But this is pretty sad stuff, to the point where it borders on being genuinely mean-spirited. Fortunately, Barker’s background in comedy does eventually come through with some comedic moments sprinkled in here and there to lighten the mood and prevent it from becoming oppressively bleak. Despite that, this is still a tragic cautionary tale that will haunt you long after you leave the theater.
Obsession wouldn’t work nearly as well without Inde Navarrette’s outstanding performance as Nikki. The amount of range she expresses here is impressive, and it wouldn’t be surprising to hear her name pop up during awards season. Michael Johnston also turns in a solid performance as the protagonist (or antagonist, depending on how you look at it) Bear. The film rests heavily on these two performances, and they do not disappoint, especially Navarrette.
The quality of the lead performances shouldn’t overshadow some of the other things the film accomplishes. One of the standouts here is the excellent cinematography by Taylor Clemons. The way the film uses lighting and shadows to enhance the suspense is textbook horror filmmaking. Sometimes it’s not always about what you see, but what you don’t see. The sound design is an unsung hero as well. In the more tense scenes, the score evokes a feeling of dread and some of the sounds that occur, especially off-screen, only add to that feeling.
Another aspect of Obsession that plays in its favor is just how much of it is unexplained and left open to interpretation. There is very little exposition about who the characters are and their backstories. There is dialogue that gives us just enough to have a general idea, but much is still unknown. The same applies for the idea of the One Wish Willow. What exactly is it? How does it grant the wish? How exactly did it affect Nikki? These are questions that are not answered and are left open to interpretation and discussion. What’s left open to our imagination is often just as chilling as what we see and know.
All in all, Obsession stands tall as one of the best horror movies in recent years, a feat that’s even more impressive when you consider its miniscule $750,000 budget. Two weeks after releasing in theaters, it’s now made over $100 million globally. It’s proof that you don’t need an IP or a big-name director attached to a project for it to do well. What you do need is a cast and crew that cares about their craft, and the rest will take care of itself. The end result of Obsession is a shining example of that.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Reelist 
Leave a comment