Film Review: Obsession

Obsession
Director: Curry Barker
Capstone Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Tea Shop Productions
In Theaters: 05.15.2026

Almost two years ago, I reviewed an indie release (that’s currently still free to watch) on YouTube called Milk & Serial for this very magazine. An absolutely diabolical found footage film written, directed and starring an even younger Curry Barker, alongside his longtime comedy partner and co-founder of his production company, That’s a Bad Idea, Cooper Tomlinson. I believe the words I used were along the lines of, “Barker’s prank-filled train ride to Hell” and an ending with a resounding declaration of, “Whatever Barker and Tomlinson get up to next, I know I’ll be along for the unnerving ride.” To say their latest (and first commercial) release, Obsession, met this expectation would be an understatement. Just when you thought Barker’s mind couldn’t be even more obscene, he cranks the fucked-up dial to 11.

Obsession follows loser “male loneliness epidemic” extraordinaire, Bear (Michael Johnston, Teen Wolf, Slash) whose current struggle — besides his cat dying by accidentally OD’ing on his grandma’s Oxy — is figuring out how to confess his love for his longtime friend Nikkie (Inde Navarrette, Superman & Lois, Trap House). Despite being coached by his and Nikkie’s friend Ian (Tomlinson, Milk & Serial, Dutton Ranch) on waiting for the right moment, Bear decides to full send and tells Nikkie his feelings after driving her home from their weekly bar trivia night. When this confession goes horribly wrong, Bear unseriously breaks a “Make a Wish Willow” (that he jokingly bought from a crystal woo-woo shop) wishing Nikkie loved him more than anything in the world. What was it Charles Bukowski said? Ah yes, “Love is a dog from Hell,” and Nikkie has one hell of a bite. 

Just when I thought I couldn’t have been more impressed with Barker, he went and created a disturbingly bleak and even more hopeless spin on the “careful what you wish for” (or Monkey’s Paw) type of horror tale. Barker calls into question something others have not when it comes to being under the control of someone else’s wish in these scenarios, what happens to the person’s true consciousness? We watch horrified, as we get to see glimpses here and there during the film’s 109-minute runtime of the real Nikkie “acting out” in gruesome ways to get out of the situation she’s been forced into when not under control of this mysterious “she” that inhabits Nikkie’s body to act out Bear’s wish of love. 

Not only is Barker making a fucked-up allegory for co-dependecies in relationships, he’s also doing what Alex Garland failed to do with Men, showcasing what an actual woman’s fear is when it comes to relationships with men. Nikkie is forced to give up her autonomy to love and appease a man, in turn when she is more complex and, I don’t know, an actual human being with her own thoughts and emotions she is demonized and made into a monster by said man. He is suffering the consequences of his own actions, yet doesn’t take accountability for them once, instead Nikkie and her reactionary behavior is made into the problem.

Though all the credit can’t just go to Barker, his cast and crew work overtime to really sell the story he’s trying to tell. Despite being fairly new to acting game, leads Johnston and Navarrette give award-winning performances of two individuals on different sides of the same fucked-up coin. Navarrette steals every scene she’s in, earning the title of “Scream Queen” just from this one horror film alone. You can tell she’s giving it her all and we, the audience, reap the benefit. We also can’t forget one of the OG’s Tomlinson doing what he does best by towing the line between comedic relief, close-confident and oblivious scumbag. A true gift of a character actor. 

There’s also fairly new cinematographer, Taylor Clemons, who frames Barker’s story so beautifully it’s hard to look away, or not be aesthetically pleased, by the disgusting horror unfolding in front of us. Every frame Clemens creates could be a stand alone painting. Especially one scene (I cannot discuss too in depth due to spoilers) where he frames a certain action in a way where you just can’t help but not look away. The craziest part? The film only had a budget of somewhere between $750,000 to $1 million. 

Go traumatize yourself and see Obsession in the theaters! It’ll give you and your therapist something new to talk about, besides whatever your current mommy issues are. And by god Curry Barker, if you’re reading this, please don’t listen to the Zach Cregger comparisons! You’re on a different level man, don’t let me down with the next one (I doubt you will)! —Yonni Uribe

Read more film reviews by Yonni Uribe:
Film Review: Mother Mary
Film Review: Hokum

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