My quick rating – 7.7/10. With all the buzz surrounding Obsession (2026), I knew this horror movie was eventually making its way onto my watchlist. The massive box office numbers and constant hype had me wondering if this was the real deal or if I was about to get another Iron Lung situation, where I spent two hours questioning whether everyone else had watched a completely different movie.
Obsession opens with Bear (Michael Johnston) finally working up the courage to confess his feelings to Nikki (Inde Navarrette)…except he’s actually just rehearsing with his friends. It’s painfully awkward. If cringe could burn calories, Bear would have a six-pack before finishing the opening credits. Desperate to change his luck, he enters the crystal shop hoping to find something. Rather than spending money on expensive rocks which have “good vibes,” he finds the peculiar One Wish Willow. As horror movies have taught us over the years, if something magical offers you exactly what you want, the hidden fees are usually murder.
Bear has absolutely zero game. Watching him talk to Nikki is like watching Windows try to install updates at 99% for three hours. You know something should be happening, but…nothing. Once his wish comes true, though, he quickly realizes that maybe the friend zone was actually the safer neighborhood.
Director Curry Barker makes a seriously impressive jump from short-form online videos to his first major feature. That’s a leap a lot of creators struggle with, but Barker lands it surprisingly well. Alongside him is longtime collaborator Cooper Tomlinson as Ian, while Megan Lawless rounds out the friend group as Sarah. Their chemistry feels genuine, and the four of them actually come across like real friends instead of actors reading dialogue at each other.
Then there’s Inde Navarrette.
She doesn’t just steal the movie. She backs a truck up to it, loads the entire production into the trailer, and drives away laughing like a maniac. The way she acts moves from adorable, to disturbing, to obsessive, and finally to insane in a snap, yet not one single act is strained. There have always been stories of insane exes, but Nikki takes it to levels where restraining orders start looking like thoughtful birthday gifts. (Duct taping a door shut? Amateur hour. I once had an ex use spray adhesive instead. Apparently, arts and crafts can become psychological warfare.)
Honestly, a huge percentage of the scares come from simply wondering what Nikki is about to do next. Navarrette is that good. I’d be shocked if she isn’t getting some serious recognition because this performance deserves it.
Michael Johnston is solid throughout, although Bear himself eventually starts making decisions so unbelievably stupid that you stop yelling “Don’t do it!” and start wondering if natural selection has entered the chat. At some point, suspension of disbelief packs its bags, leaves the theater, and asks for a refund. Thankfully, the movie is entertaining enough that it doesn’t completely derail everything.
And when Obsession (2026) wants its characters to spill blood, it does not hesitate. The violent scenes are intense. There are some real dark scenes, and Barker demonstrates that he knows how to build up suspense before the whole thing blows apart. Given that this is what he has produced in his first major horror film, he is definitely someone to watch out for. Here’s hoping this isn’t a one-hit wonder, because horror could use more directors willing to get this weird.
