5 months into its release, it’s highly likely that you are intimately familiar with the movie title ‘Obsession’. Having grossed just shy of $523 million USD worldwide, it’s not surprising that the breakthrough horror has maintained its hold within the cultural zeitgeist and been one of the most prominent talking points regarding modern media in 2026.
Coming from the creative mind of YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker, Obsession explores main character Bear and his romantic fascination with friend Nikki, who he wishes to be loved by using an ominous ‘One Wish Willow’, resulting in him receiving his wish far more accurately than he could ever have anticipated, leading him down a dark path neither he nor those closest to him will ever come back from. While this may sound like a pretty standard drama or thriller, Obsession is a no-holds-barred horror flick that doesn’t pull too far from reality to convey the frightening dark side to human interactions.
Obsession directly deals in the lives of several Gen-Z individuals and how they are navigating their futures while on the precipice of major life changes and relational events, such as getting into a good college and how personal relationships may grow or change. At 26 years old, director Curry Barker clearly understands this feeling and is deeply capable of making audiences feel this within the film’s characters, as before any horror even appears on screen its made abundantly clear that these characters are 3-dimensional and living. Inde Navarrette’s Nikki – main character Bear’s long term crush – is the most significant example, showing the subtle and nuanced character that Bear falls in love with as well as the twisted, uncanny valley version of Nikki that supernaturally takes over her body and mind to ultimately make Bear’s wish come true, warts and all. Navarrette is such a natural at presenting these conflicting portrayals that its no surprise she is being labelled the scream queen of 2026, leaving her deeply over the top expressions seared into the minds of many.
The fact Nikki is able to be brought to life in the way she is on screen is the direct result of how tight the narrative and thematic elements of Obsession truly are. This monkey’s paw-esque tale feels like one of the best portrayals of modern dating, emotional dependence and miscommunication in the digital age out there. The film wastes no time in delving toward the darkest depths of these topics, using Bear’s toxic desperation to get what he wants as a means to address common Gen Z social barriers – ironically instilled through overabundance of technology – that leads to confusion between romantic desire and ownership. Sprinkle in toxic, entitled male traits (we all know a guy) and you’ve got a dread-inducing flick on your hands.
Atmosphere, too, is absolutely nailed throughout the film by cinematographer Taylor Clemons, with a certain dreamlike quality present frequently that subconsciously causes an uneasy sensation as if the rules of reality don’t apply here and anything could go wrong at any time. It feels as if anything beyond the frame could very well just be endless, black void, a quality that is so rare but so appreciated within the horror genre. The colour of each scene is such a perfect blend between a deep cool palette as well as a subtle orange warmth that juxtapose each other and create an eerily familiar yet unsettling sensation. It’s not just visually either, the score composed by Rock Burwell perfectly accompanies these visual qualities through its synth-driven, dreamy qualities that touch on the romantic undertones while being drowned in a sense of dread and unease. Easy comparisons are the Silent Hill series and Twin Peaks, each celebrated for their mysterious and dread-inducing soundtracks.
Obsession holds no punches, and yet those punches aren’t always square in the jaw. Sometimes they’re little inklings of impending doom that linger in your head as you’re turning off the bedside lamp. Sometimes they’re paralyzingly accurate portrayals of your everyday fears. Regardless, if you’re a horror fan and are looking for the next wild ride, this film might be exactly what you wished for.
bella 
Finn Wilson 
Elizabeth Griffin