Universal Pictures releases Obsession in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on May 15, 2026.
Synopsis
After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
Review
Modern horror has gone in an interesting direction as of late, allowing for some lesser known film makers to breath fresh life into the genre with some truly horrific ideas that stand apart from the tried and tested tropes from before. Obsession, attempts this by leaning into the classic “Monkey’s Paw” concept (based off a 1902 short horror story where an enchanted monkeys hand will grant three wishes, but only with hellish consequences as punishment for tampering with fate itself), resulting in a film that is as psychologically draining as it is utterly entertaining. While it doesn’t quite achieve perfection, it does a tremendous job of horrifying the audience witnessing the actions of the main character Bear.
Written, Directed and even Edited by Curry Barker, the film follows a young man named Bear (played by Michael Johnston) who has strong emotions for his co-worker and best friend Nikki (played by Inde Navarrette) which he cannot tell her and clearly she does not share with him. However, after he makes a ill worded wish on a ‘One Wish Willow’ toy he picked up earlier, she becomes absolutely besotted with him out of nowhere. Acting completely different than before as if she is a completely different person. What then happens, is an emotional roller-coaster of watching this seemingly nice ‘Bear’ character become more and more disliked for his lack of ‘urgency’ to fix what he did.
The biggest standout of the film though is undoubtedly Inde Navarrette as Nikki, the poor victim in this film. In what would have been an exhausting role that demands a stark transition from a nice normal young woman to this obsessed stalker, Navarrette is nothing short of incredible. Her performance is the fuel that drives the film’s enjoyably uncomfortable journey. She manages to make the poor victim Nikki one of the most sympathetic and horrifying characters in recent horror. Within context, there is something more horrific when a characters fate is down to the actions of another and they’re forced to suffer because of them which is the focal point of the whole movie.
At its heart, Obsession is a cautionary tale about poorly used wishes, hesitation over actions and choosing selfishness over legitimate love. The film explores the horrific outcomes of this poorly worded wish, turning an ideal dream scenario for Bear into a waking nightmare for which he refuses to let go of. There is a specific kind of dread found in watching a character realize, too late, that they got exactly what they asked for—just not in the way they wanted. This lends itself to some truly brilliant body horror and psychological trauma, making a strong case for more “wish-gone-wrong” films to spawn from this.
Where the film loses its footing though is in its stylistic choices. For some reason, the movie is in a 4:3 aspect ratio—the nearly square format of vintage television—feels kinda pretentious? If the movie was set in the 90’s or something then you can make a case for it, but it’s a modern day story so was jarring to see a 4:3 ratio on the big cinema screen. It almost felt like a tonal disconnect, giving off this “small budget indie film about young adults” vibe that feels at odds with the gruesome reality of the unfolding store. It feels like a filmmaker trying a bit too hard to signal “artistic depth” through framing rather than letting the story speak for itself.
Furthermore, while the build-up is thoroughly entertaining, the resolution lacks the same spark. By the time the credits roll, the plot became quite predictable, like we all knew how it was going to end and just watched it all fall into place. That’s not to say it was not still enjoyable, seeing the upcoming loops of a roller-coaster does not lessens the fear of going through them.
Verdict
Obsession is an absolutely fantastic horror flick! With Inde Navarrette stealing the entire film with her incredibly uncomfortable performance, we are left with this horrifying cautionary tale of being careful what you wish for. Despite a somewhat self-indulgent 4:3 presentation and a conclusion you can see coming from a mile away, you are still in for an absolute treat with a film that no doubt will take rental space in your head for days after.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
