obsession is a horror movie about rejection…and what women inherit from it. – aspennedbyG.
“darkness is a color” is what stuck with me after watching Curry Barker’s obsession (2026).
i went to see this film with a good friend of mine and i took notes during our viewing. i’ve started taking notes because i have thoughts but sometimes they flutter after watching a movie.
to begin, obsession is among a long list of highly anticipated horror movies this year. i love horror and when something new comes out, i try to stay away from any trailers or discourse if i can.
i’ve been successful for the most part, and when it came to obsession…i was also victorious lol.
anywhos, just for some context, this film is about a woman and a man who differ in personality and connection. they’re friends and the guy, Bear, has a big crush on the young lady, Nikki, that turns deadly.
instead of pursuing his crush, he makes a wish via a “one wish willow.”
his manospheric decision turns deadly and really is a testament to the phrase “be careful what you wish for” and paints a picture of what men may do and THE lengths they’ll do when it comes to romantic relationships nowadays.
what works (for me).
as i watched the film, i think there were several elements that worked for me and really moved the story along.
starting with the film’s elements, i really loved the idea of using light to create more eerie scenes as Nikki grows in her obsession of bear. there’s scenes where you can barely see her face, which could be how she communicates with the “other” version of herself.
according to my notes, i thought the “lighting in general is interesting.”
what added color to my viewing was the sound design. sound usually catches me first when watching horror films. it’s a way to trick the mind into becoming more immersed in the horror experience.
thinking about how anticipation builds when you hear violins played at an odd pace or when creaks are so off putting that it makes you cringe while waiting for the next jump scare.
i think obsession’s sound design leans towards a hitchcockian vibe. there were times of deliberate silence or quiet dialogue that added to the tension of some scenes. one that comes to mind, spoiler, is the car scene with bear and sarah.
the lower, light-hearted conversation seems to ease the viewer into thinking things are “okay” or “normal,” but the lack of sound or music creates a great set up for the coming jump scare that shows nikki going in for a bloodlusty kill.
speaking of Nikki, i think Inde Navarrette does a great job at being crazily obsessed. i also like the slow progression into the descent. it just starts simple and then goes downhill into a literal graveyard lol.
i’ll add that i think there are flashes of the real Nikki after Bear wishes for her to like him romantically. those darkly lit moments present a dim version of the real Nikki that she only has minimal control over.
there was also a nice nod to serial killer Ed Gein when Nikki attempts to portray herself as Sarah following her bludgeoning.
lastly, the “one wish willow” trinket leans on willow tree mythology and i love that it leans into real-world lore. it makes the movie feel more concrete and real, like this would happen because a man’s fear of rejection is leading his decision making.
what i realized.
the film ends with Nikki as the sole survivor of the friend group she shared with Bear.
spoiler; Nikki does make a wish to in turn have bear obsessed with her. but because bear dies by suicide at the end after having enough of Nikki’s obsessive love (and her killing another friend), Nikki regains her autonomy since his wish is null and void.
Nikki is then left with the consequences of his actions, which would not be the case had Bear just simply asked her out like a normal person would.
i didn’t really grasp this at first. it makes me circle back to this ideological meaning behind Bear’s actions that correlate with the manosphere or incel culture.
i believe that Nikki being left to sort out what happens next after such trauma, is what happens when you encounter this particular brand of men.
in her case, she even gave Bear the opportunity to speak up on his crush. she directly asked him if he had feelings for her. but that fear of rejection fueled his “need” to make that wish, leading to his own death.
something could also be said about him taking his own life after getting “everything” he wanted. i guess his version of Nikki was too much of a good thing.
still, Nikki is now ass out.
she has to clean up Bear’s mess and put the pieces of her life back together. i’ve had my share of experience dating men, and honestly this was the case most of the time.
men come into your life without being truthful about what they want and will go to extreme lengths to get you to like them or present in a manner that aligns more with your standards as a woman or person who dates men.
they know they don’t necessarily measure up so they “make wishes” to reel you in and don’t even realize the damage they’re doing by creating this level of attachment.
then, they leave and you snap back into reality as Nikki did once bear and his wish ceased to exist.
final thoughts.
i think the film is pretty alright. my rating for it stands at 8.9.
i prefer more kills, but i will say the gore and effects were nice in this one. i’m a sucker for practical effects in horror.
obsession lives up to the hype honestly fr. it’s become the highest-grossing film since last year.
with obsession as being a starter point, i think being able to push beyond a normal film review is cool. it allows me to not only share my experiences and expertise when it comes to life and horror but there’s intersectionality i can highlight as Black, queer woman.
what should i review next?
check out the video edition of this review here.
-signed G.
as penned by G. 
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