Obsession

Director: Curry Barker
Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter, Haley Fitzgerald, Darin Toonder, Curry Barker
Running Time: 109 min.
Rating: R

 **This Review Contains Major Plot Spoilers**

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★) 

The supernatural premise driving writer/director Curry Barker's mind blowing horror thriller Obsession is so simple that it's easy to overlook all it does well, aside from the obvious. But audiences have noticed, which is a credit to how certain scenes and sequences linger, inviting the repeated viewings that's given it an unrivaled staying power. But it's tough going into a movie like that, almost as if you're primed for disappointment before the opening credits have even rolled. So this somehow still being able to overcome all the surrounding hype and expectations almost feels like an achievement in itself. 

After this, we can at least hope those who routinely dismiss and dissect even the worthiest films for resembling The Twilight Zone will finally realize it's a compliment to earn comparisons to television's greatest anthology series. But this monkey's paw morality tale shares as much in common with the comedically twisted Tales From the Crypt, which also featured a similarly themed episode involving a mystical love curse. But here, Barker's tone, style and execution puts this in a different class, exploring issues of agency and autonomy that are sure to spark discussion as it builds toward its chillingly chaotic conclusion. 

Shy, socially awkward Baron "Bear" Bailey (Mike Johnston) has a secret unrequited crush on his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette) he considers revealing to her despite the uncomfortable dynamic it could create with their friends and music store co-workers Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless). Grieving the sudden death of his beloved cat Sandy, Bear takes a trip to the local crystal shop to buy a Nikki a necklace, but instead picks her up the "One Wish Willow," a vintage toy promising to grant one wish per person when broken in half. 

After driving Nikki home from the bar later that night, Bear nervously chickens out and misses a golden opportunity to reveal his feelings. After frustratingly breaking the Willow and wishing she "love him more than anyone in the world," Bear unleashes an unhinged, erratic Nikki who's immediately obsessed with him. Now prone to outrageous lies, screaming fits, self harm and violent outbursts, she smothers Bear with affection, causing Ian and Sarah to express serious concern for her mental state. But as Bear continues to date Nikki and frantically tries to curb her dangerous impulses, he'll find out the hard way to be careful what you wish for.

It's almost a relief to find a horror film with four characters who lack some kind of traumatic backstory, at least as far as we know. And though their ages are in question (with a minimum of two homeowners and another applying to schools), they're just normal friends and co-workers hanging out, which only heightens the impact of the curse that's about to upend their relatively mundane lives. Bear's the unassuming "nice guy," Nikki's an outgoing fun loving personality, Ian's an irritating frat boy while sympathetic tattoo artist Sarah seems the most grounded. She also harbors a crush of her own on Bear, who's too infatuated with Nikki to notice.  

While it's easy to question Ian's motives for discouraging Bear's intended confession to Nikki and belittling him, we're also forced to admit he has a point since it's clear Bear was friend zoned a while ago and should probably just move on. Regardless, he can't muster up the guts to shoot his shot and instead breaks the Willow, robbing Nikki of whatever choice she would have made. It's here where things start to get really interesting since Bear's selfish actions aren't yet recognizable as those of a crazed misogynist. But having no clue this gag gift would work is a viable excuse for only so long, or exactly until the girl of his dreams transforms into "Freaky Nikki."

If all the characters suffer to some extent, a possessed Nikki easily endures the worst, causing stressful uncertainty in viewers about what this entity inhabiting her will do or say next. And she hasn't a clue herself, which makes this experience all the more nerve wracking, as its story rides entirely on an incredible performance that walks a razor's edge between campy humor and unrestrained terror. Everything Navarrette does could have so easily been cringy or flown off the rails, causing the whole premise to collapse under the weight of its lofty ambitions. Instead, we're on the edge of our seats dreading how far Nikki will go, or more alarmingly, what it'll take to stop her. 

For all the justifiable praise Navarrette's gotten, an underappreciated Mike Johnston doesn't have it easy either, constantly reacting to the insanity and abuse his apathetic Bear unleashes, going along with this until Nikki's behavior forces him to take action. But he's weak, outing himself as a coward more interested in controlling Nikki's thoughts and feelings while she's relegated to helpless observer, trapped inside the mind and body of someone else. Of the three friends, only one seems to genuinely care about her well being, even if that concern comes at a deadly price.              

More than a few scenes stand out, such as Nikki menacingly lurking in the shadows of the bedroom, her uproarious and instantly memeable reaction to a seemingly harmless house party game or Bear's desperate phone call to "alter" rather than reverse a curse he'd gladly support if all this other stuff didn't accompany it. There's also an unforgettable jump scare in the third act we do see coming, but still manages to shock since Barker is so skillful at distracting us, expertly milking the scene until he's ready to pull trigger. And when he does, we're devastated by just how long and uncomfortably brutal it is. 

Consider that the final warning shot, leading to a cruelly karmic final act where Bear finally runs out of options and all hell breaks loose. Through all this, Navarrette consistently conveys fleeting glimpses of the old Nikki struggling to slip out and escape, waging a battle within herself she can't possibly win. The cruel victim of circumstance and hardly a survivor, she's now looking at a very bleak future once authorities arrive at the gruesome crime scene. And in wisely opting not to show any of it, Barker lets a single blood curdling scream tell us everything we need to know.