OBSESSION

It seems like every ten years or so, the horror genre finds itself a new rising star. One that is able to find a topic and tone to their film that packs a wildly appealing yet vicious punch.

My mind instantly harkens back to James Wan’s 2004 Saw, which still to this day remains a genre favourite - or 2017’s Get Out, written and directed by comedic genius Jordan Peele. Both lofty names have managed to carve out a path not only to box office success but mega stardom both in front and behind the camera. And I hope with this directorial debut, Curry Barker soon etches himself into that pantheon because Obsession is that damn good of a horror flick.

A universal theme that spirals into absolute chaos for 90+ minutes, showcasing writer/director Curry Barker's incredible ability to create suspense and genuine scares while catapulting his leading young stars, Michael Johnston and Inde Navarette, into genre stardom, Obsession creates horror excellency through simplicity.

The plot is simple - Bear, a young and shy music store employee, is deeply in love with his long time friend and coworker Nikki. When an attempted admission of his feelings towards her following a night of drinking and partying fizzles out, Bear jokingly makes a wish from a ‘One Wish Willow’ - a hokey gift he purchased at a store.

What begins as Bear’s fantasy soon spirals into something far more terrifying when Nikki starts exhibiting signs of a deeply unsettling transformation. Her growing dysphoria hints at the presence of a sinister force that may have seized control of her identity - an entity intent on claiming both of them, body and soul.

The familiar horror warning of “be careful what you wish for” gets a savage reinvention from writer-director Curry Barker, who injects the premise with dark humor and suffocating tension. Barker showcases a confident command of horror that recalls the tonal precision of someone like Jordan Peele’s Get Out but the dizzying brutality of his father,Clive Barker’s classic Hellraiser. Much like Hellraiser,Curry finds a way to lure his audience in with the mental contemplation of something small packing a much larger bite than its physical size.

Like those breakout debuts, Obsessiongrounds its outlandish premise in emotional authenticity. Beneath its supernatural framework - including a customer service line seemingly connected to Hell itself - the film delivers a brutally honest examination of romantic obsession and the sinister inherent in objectification. The impact is heightened by richly layered performances, especially from Navarrette, whose portrayal of Nikki takes off like a bat out of hell, becoming freaky to downright terrifying (much like her nickname in the film) and shifts hauntingly between vulnerable longing and agonizing despair. This is Inde Navarette’s coming out party, folks, and I am so here for it.

Michael Johnson also shines in his role, with his loveable shy loner drawing you in, first with empathy that quickly transforms into shock and dismay. Once the wheels begin to fall off for Bear, as Nikki’s actions begin to spiral completely out of control, Johnson’s dough-eyed babyface works because he comes off as believable and heartbreaking, not understanding the gravity of the dark force he has tampered with.

Obsession takes a theme we have all lived through and can understand and turns it into a new horror classic. Shocking that no one hasn’t thought of this before. It creates a tense atmosphere that never loses momentum and as mentioned, its exploration of desire, betrayal, and control feels compelling, even when the story drifts into familiar territory. The cinematography is striking, the soundtrack adds perfectly to the suspenseful tone and the scares are so memorable that I can’t stop talking about them. I absolutely loved Obsession from start to finish, as it delivers gripping entertainment with enough depth and tension to stand out, earning a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I cannot wait to see what Barker and the entire acting and creative team have in store.