2 weeks ago
The scary genre has a talented caller storyteller pinch Curry Barker successful his sophomore characteristic Obsession, arsenic good arsenic shriek queen successful nan making pinch prima Inde Navarrette.
In nan movie from writer and head Barker, Bear (Michael Johnston) makes a wish connected a inexpensive novelty toy, a One Wish Willow, that his longtime friend Nikki (Navarrette) will emotion him much than thing other successful nan world. The wish is granted immediately, pinch sinister and gory consequences ensuing.
It’s yet a movie astir consent and nan value of connection successful making love and relationships. This full bloody matter could person been avoided if Bear could person worked up nan nervus to show his friend really he feels.
Navarrette does her occupation for illustration a pro, delivering a chilling capacity arsenic a possessed lovesick young woman, pinch nan existent Nikki being tortured and trying to break free. It’s terrifying and exhilarating trying to conjecture what she’ll do adjacent and really acold she’ll return this romanticist fixation, delivering demonic temper swings and creepy mannerisms that will keep
Focus Features and Universal person built hype astir nan movie and Nikki, creating a matter statement for fans to talk to nan character, who is known to appropriately ray up people’s phones successful nan mediate of nan night. Meanwhile, thoroughfare advertisements featuring nan movie’s title has gained distressing graffiti successful Nikki’s handwriting, expressing her emotion for Bear.
Barker, who made his debut pinch 2024’s Milk & Serial, sets an unsettling cinematic acquisition successful his scary breakout, creating a acquainted sleepy acquisition of disenchanted youth, only for nan rug to beryllium snatched retired nether nan assemblage arsenic nan terrifying reality sets in.
My only gripe is that location are only 2 termination scenes, and they are wildly disproportionate. One characteristic is fixed capable humor and gore to astir warrant an NC-17 rating, and nan different character’s decease felt for illustration a lazy afterthought played for laughs.
OK, I person 2 gripes—Andy Richter is successful nan movie for each of 2 minutes arsenic nan characters’ boss, and he has possibly 1 line. Seems for illustration a discarded of a comedic legend.
Overall, Barker nails his sophomore characteristic successful a increasing caller cohort of YouTube creators turned scary filmmakers, delivering a chilling movie-going acquisition and establishing his style up of a engaged slate that includes Blumhouse’s Anything But Ghosts and A24’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Producers are James Harris, Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri and Roman Viaris.
Title: Obsession
Distributor: Focus Features, Universal Pictures
Release date: May 15, 2026
Director-screenwriter: Curry Barker
Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter
Rating: R
Running time: 1 hr 49 mins
