"Obsession" Made Me Hate Men More

Curry Barker’s film, Obsession, soars in success this past May leaving everyone who has watched it in extreme chills and disturbance. And taking it to new levels of why men are always the root of horror films even when they try not to be. This film easily falls into my favorite genre along with Fatal Attraction and Gone Girl where men famously don’t get to “have their cake and eat it too”. In these specific types of movies, we witness the lead female character acquire these psychotic, destructive traits because of the disloyal, traitorous actions of their male love interests. There is nothing more horrifying to me than a man getting what he wants at the cost of others but facing no consequences, which is why Obsession did not disappoint. 

The film is centered around a friend group of young adults, but specifically captures the relationship between the two characters, Bear (Michael Johnston) and Nikki (Inde Navarrette). In the beginning of what later on becomes the most unthinkable case scenario for these two, we are first introduced to Bear, who right off the bat emphasizes his strong romantic feelings for Nikki in which she is unaware of. The character goes through mental trials and tribulations on how he is going to propose his feelings to her, and eventually ends up completely missing every opportunity. When he unfortunately blows his last chance, but still has Nikki in his presence, Bear secretly pulls out a “One Wish Willow” in hopes to officially win her over. And out of everything he could’ve wished for, he ends up undoubtedly wishing for “Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world”. Surprisingly, Nikki then turns around and is immediately showcasing that she’s been in love with Bear all this time, which we then figured out that the wish has actually worked. Since Nikki has only ever expressed to Bear that she has seen him as a friend, it left Bear in confusion at first with the very sudden change of heart, and then he eventually became thankful that his very passionate feelings are being forcibly reciprocated. But as Bear’s hopeless romantic days have come to an end, the horrors have begun. 

After their short-lived “honeymoon phase” of being a compelled new couple, Nikki starts to become unrecognizable. From the confident, driven, self-assured girl she was at the beginning of the film, we quickly start seeing a side of her that is the opposite of the Nikki we knew, and Bear knew. This isn’t just her being under a love spell, even though she actually is, but it starts to look like somebody entirely different is entering and leaving her body. Bear becomes thrown off by the person that he wished her to be, and as he slowly pulls away, she attaches herself more. She instantly develops insanely unhealthy, obsessive feelings towards Bear, and this is where the film starts to take very unexpected turns. In the beginning of these extreme acts, we witness Nikki duct-taping their entire apartment door shut when Bear had to leave for work, to later on in the film murdering their best friend, Sarah, who could’ve been a threat to their relationship. 

Though it is obviously exhibited that Nikki was the character who committed the most destructive, violent crimes for Bear, she was not the villain in Obsession. Bear being disturbed, uncomfortable, and terrified of Nikki’s sudden change in behavior when he was the one who initially wished for this, does not make him innocent. He wanted to create a Nikki that does not exist for his own liking, and when he got the opportunity to make it happen, it backfired on him. Instead of acknowledging that these consequences are because of the thoughtless decision he made, Bear refused to accept his wrongdoings and consistently made the situation about himself. When he painfully asked Nikki what was so bad about being with him, and when he asked to only alter his wish instead of completely cancelling it, it became very clear who the real villain was. It was never about Nikki, and it was never about Sarah. It was about the easiest ways in which these women can serve him in his life romantically. It’s also devastating to mention how these women were his long-time friends who did not deserve to suffer because of his selfish actions. 

Michael Johnston deserves all the recognition he’s received for his brilliant performance of Bear, and will always earn my applause for portraying a character that I, and lots of others, have very strong negative feelings towards. But most of my flowers and admiration goes to the big breakout star of the film, Inde Navarrette, and the insanity she brought to the character, Nikki. No one else could’ve given the unforgettable performance that she did, and with the immense talent that she carries, consistent success is definitely guaranteed in her future. The director, Curry Barker, brought together a group of hidden gems and showcased a film that reflects his powerful, unique mind. Barker delivered us the absolute unexpected roller coaster of jumps, twists, and turns. And most importantly, reminding us that the real horror of horror films is the men.