TL;DR – Ew, ew, ew, ew, my dude, what the actual #$%@

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Warning – Contains scenes which may cause distress.

Obsession Review Introduction

It has been a gangbuster year for the YouTube creative to big screen director, starting with Markiplier in Iron Lung, then Kane Parsons in Backrooms, and now we get to finish off the trifecta with Curry Barker’s Obsession. However, now that I’ve seen it, I’m not sure I would have chosen to, knowing what I know now.

So, to set the scene, Bear (Michael Johnston) is a bit of a nervous person who has worked with Nikki (Inde Navarrette) and has a major crush on her. He has been coached by his friends Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless), but he can’t bring himself to take the next step. When walking through a crystal store one day, he comes across a One Wish Willows that gives you one wish, and one wish only. After a truly embarrassing exchange, Bear decides to give the stupid wish a chance, because it is not like it really works …….  

Consent

I can’t talk about this film without getting into the guts of it, which means that there will be more spoilers in this review than I normally would use, simply because they cannot be avoided. Obsession is a film that might be entirely about consent, and that makes it a very, very, very difficult film to watch at times. I mean this film might have the most rancid jump cut in a film I have watched. There is a sheer uncomfortable feeling that reverberated across the cinema at times, you could feel it like a wave emanating from the front till it hit the row of teenagers at the back.

The main plot of this film is how Bear removes Nikki’s free will and ability to clearly consent to the conduct of others toward her, or even her own actions. There are different levels to the consent exploitation as the understanding of what has happened to Nikki develops. However, there is a clear point, a clear, clear point, where all ambiguity is removed, and the truly unpleasant feeling that follows is not something that I will forget anytime soon. This is even before we get into the truly out-of-pocket things that happen throughout the film.

Cast

Other than Andy Richter, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone in this cast before, and they absolutely rise to the occasion. These are very difficult parts to play, because, sure, there are some broader strokes they are painting with, such as cowardice. There is a lot of refinement to each of those broad territories. For example, Ian is just the worst friend, but you get just why he is how he is. Then you have Inde Navarrette, who is having to play almost three different characters at times, and nailing all of them. The film would not be as compelling without their commitment.

Production

Then we have the production, which completely captivates you, which in this case is almost a trap. I liked all the small details, such as all the sweaters they make Bear wear, which are meant to be disarming, but are more of a shield to his quite rotten core. Then there are characters that do entire monologues in the dark, and this is not lazy cinematography, but a very distinct use of persuasion. I am honestly shocked by just how much they were able to do on what was apparently a shoestring budget. This looks better than a lot of other big-budget films I have watched recently.            

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend Obsession? Look, honestly, this is a hard one for me. That is because the film is quite repugnant at times, but that is by design, rather than by accident. It has something very clear to say about the modern world, and it is not afraid to say it. But that does make it a very difficult watch, and I am not sure I could recommend it, even though it succeeds in what it set out to do.  

Have you watched Obsession? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Obsession, we would recommend Send Help to you because it not only has those big set-piece ‘what did I just watch moments’ it also explores a similar territory of exploitation and servitude, though through a different tack.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Obsession
Directed by – Curry Barker
Written by – Curry Barker
Music by – Rock Burwell
Cinematography by – Taylor Clemons
Edited by – Curry Barker
Production/Distribution Companies – Capstone Pictures, Tea Shop Productions, Blumhouse Productions, Focus Features, & Rialto Distribution
Starring – Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter, Haley Fitzgerald, Darin Toonder, & Curry Barker
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14A; Germany: 16; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 18; United States: R