"Obsession" REVIEW

Published on 5/21/2026 

Written by: Braylon Mitchell 

Directed by: Curry Barker 

Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter, etc. 

Plot: After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price. 

REVIEW 

This is a textbook example of the type of indie horror success story that thrills me: a low-budget film made by a young writer/director who used to run a YouTube channel with his friends, starring a cast of "unknowns," that goes on to make millions and leave a near-instant imprint on the cultural zeitgeist. We like to think of indie hits like these as "coming out of nowhere," but that's rarely the case. Films like these are backed by years of development, whether official or within the mind of their creators, and feature stories and filmmaking that audiences are undeniably engaged by. It doesn't hurt that Focus Features had a killer marketing campaign as well. This film balances cringe-induced uncomfortableness and scariness very well, often intertwining the two into the same effect and leaving us laughing while we're tensed up. The pure unpredictability of Nikki's actions and behaviors creates a sense of uneasiness that's somehow both darkly comedic and rooted in an instability that feels all too real. Writer/director Curry Barker guides the film's tone steadily between humor and intensity. I also loved how, when it came to the "One Wish Willow," there is the bare minimum of exposition or constantly laying out the rules or anything like that. Barker simply introduces the concept, basically tells us "think of it as you will," and lets us watch the ramifications unfold. Not only is that objectively funny on a screenwriting level, it's a clever way to get the audience to use their imagination and draw their own conclusions. However, what impressed me most about this film is easily the character dynamics. Nikki is, on the outside, the scary antagonistic force, yet on the inside she's a victim trapped under a spell that's had her life and her body stolen away from her. Bear is, on the outside, the protagonist whose view we follow throughout the film and whom we're led to sympathize with, yet on the inside his decisions and lack of accountability are the entire cause of every conflict. On paper these are kind of simple character dynamics, but in execution they're done brilliantly, especially in how gradually over the course of the film the reality of who these characters truly are slips through. By the third act, it's painfully obvious how scummy our main character is, but the full realization isn't any less satisfying. Story-wise, craft-wise, performance-wise, and all other-wise this is a serious contender for the best horror film of 2026.

THREE BEST ELEMENTS

• Inde Navarrette's performance. Inde Navarrette. Inde Navarrette. Remember that name, because after making a splash like this with a role such as this one- I can't see how she doesn't go on to do big things. Her performance is the kind that becomes instantly iconic. The role of Nikki Freeman calls for a whole lot; to play her as a fully formed person for the first twenty minutes with personality and ambitions, then to play her with nothing but adoring love for Bear that quickly evolves into psychotic and terrifying rage and control, and on top of that having to play the real Nikki trapped inside throughout- a task that most actors wouldn't be able to balance or pull off with complete originality, but Navarrette somehow did it. What she accomplishes within her performance is beyond impressive. Watching her, I couldn't help but feeling like she was creating an entirely new brand of horror performance- one that is both hilarous as it is terrifying, and as well handled with depth as it is outwardly flashy. There are some moments where her erratic facial expressions alone gave me full body chills. Inde Navarrette's performance would be throughly deserving of an Oscar nomination. 

• Michael Johnston's performance. He does such a convincing, sadly relatable job at emboding awkwardness and deep rooted self centerness. It's a performance that I'd say is characterized a great deal by body language and presence. Navarette's performance looms so large that you'd think her counterpart/co-star would feel small in comparison, but Johnston plays his role so well that he's able to hold his own alongside her. It's fantastic work from Johnston, who is another very promising breakout actor. 

• Curry Barker's direction. It's hard to believe that this is his feature length directorial debut because of how well toned and effective his direction is. This film is under the hand of someone who understands how to build an engaging film, and it's so cool that this is his first try. In particular, I really responded to how he utlizes humor throughout the film- as I mentioned earlier in the paragraph above, but also with several scenes throughout the film that are straight up meant to be comedic. Both interactions that Bear has with the employees of the store where he buys the "One Wish Willow" had me cackling. I just think it's so funny how much both those brief characters entirely feel like they're in a different film, and a lot of that is because of Barker's direction that leans into humor. 

WORST ELEMENT 

• There were a few laspes into messier writing that I wasn't a huge fan of, mainly in the third act, but with some time and thought not even that criticism feels all that meaningful as opposed to my overall adoration for the film. 

RATING

8/10

It's a must see horror movie, buddy!