Although it’s precisely plotted—with a steady, reliable camera that favors fixed frames and a clear point of view–the intrigue of Obsession is its thematic slipperiness. Is this a horror skewering of male emotional constipation? A dark comedy about clingy girlfriends? A variation on W.W. Jacobs’ The Monkey’s Paw, set amidst the minefield of modern courtship? A Monkey’s Paw gambit certainly sets the plot in motion: nursing an extreme crush on his coworker, Nikki (Inde Navarrette)—but unwilling to risk the vulnerability of sharing his feelings with her—Bear (Matt Johnston) buys a novelty One Wish Willow on a whim and wishes that she would love him “more than anything else in the world.” The plot spoiler would be to tell you exactly how this comes true, which I won’t do. Written and directed by Curry Barker, who got his start with YouTube videos, Obsession lost its slipperiness for me early on, perhaps because I placed a lot of weight on that inciting incident and Bear’s response to it. As such, the story became a bit tedious by the midway point. Riveting to the end, however, is the acrobatic act—physically and emotionally—that Navarrette performs as the villain/victim, depending on how you read things. Nikki is dodgy in the opening scenes, seeming to open the door for Bear at times (which he doesn’t walk through), yet shooing him away at others. After the wish, Nikki becomes something like a glitchy marionette, which Navarette makes both funny and creepy. An enormous hit, Obsession should put her—not just Barker—on the Hollywood map.
(6/11/2026)
