Curry Barker's Obsession transforms an innocent romantic wish into a tense and unpredictable nightmare, led by a fabulous performance from Inde Navarrette.
Every few years, a small, independent film is released in theaters with little to no fanfare, a.k.a. marketing. In 2022 it was Everything Everywhere All at Once, which, through word of mouth and a grassroots campaign, became a huge box office hit. This spring, that film was a horror movie called Obsession, which has made over $400 million on a $750,000 budget and, over two months after its theatrical release, remains in the top 10 at the box office. Despite still being shown in theaters, the film has now been released in 4K for home entertainment sales.
Bear (Michael Johnston; Endangered Species), Nikki (Inde Navarrette; Superman & Lois), Ian (Cooper Tomlinson; Dutton Ranch), and Sarah (Megan Lawless; The Hate U Give) are friends who work at the same music store and hang out sometimes. Bear really likes Nikki, but it seems she isn't interested in being more than his friend. Sarah likes Bear, but he is pining over Nikki so much that he doesn't really notice Sarah. When Nikki loses her crystal necklace, Bear goes into a mystical store to buy her a new one but instead purchases a "One Wish Willow." Thinking it is a joke, he wishes that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world. Suddenly, Bear and Nikki are dating and become inseparable, but the longer their relationship goes on, the more dangerous and clingy Nikki becomes.
First-time feature film director Curry Barker does a terrific job of building tension and framing shots in such a way as to make the audience feel as if they are a part of the story. Unfortunately, the lighting director didn't do such a great job, as faces are too dark throughout the film, making it difficult to watch at times. If this was an "artistic" choice, it failed miserably and should never be attempted again. Note to Barker! Otherwise, I don't have any complaints, and I am interested to see what Barker does for his sophomore effort.
The cast is decent for the most part, with Johnston, Lawless, and Tomlinson mostly taking their cues from Navarrette. She is FABULOUS as Nikki, who becomes increasingly unhinged the longer she and Bear are dating. She also beautifully transitions between the "dream" girlfriend Nikki and the real Nikki seamlessly, giving the character depth with a simple facial expression. Navarrette makes this film what it is and should be nominated for an award for her performance.
Though the video is presented in Dolby Vision, it is often very dark due to poor lighting, which makes it hard to watch. While some might read that as dark as in sinister and hard to watch as in emotionally difficult, that isn't what I mean. It is actually dark as in get them a flashlight or some better lighting, and hard to watch as in difficult to see the actors' facial expressions. However, despite this flaw, the daytime scenes offer plenty of detail, and the colors are layered.
Conversely, the Dolby Atmos audio has depth and richness throughout. The ambient sounds give the scenes layers that make everything feel just a tad bit scarier.
The combo pack includes the 4K and Blu-ray discs, the digital download, and two extras, which are Obsession Unleashed and Feature Commentary with Director/Writer/Editor Curry Barker. While not plentiful, the extras offer the viewer some insight into the story, the cast, and the director, making them interesting.
Obsession doesn't need to use a lot of gore and blood to make it scary and, in fact, it isn't as much a horror film as it is a thriller. The premise is interesting, and the ending is rather unexpected.
The little movie that could, having been made for a budget of less than $1 million, became a blockbuster hit. It is certainly worthy of many of the accolades it has received and leaves the concept open for a sequel.
Grade: B+
