By Tyler Banark

Since Ari Aster’s works in Hereditary and Midsommar, I have not experienced a capital-H horror film that leaves me in such awe of its presentation. By this, I exclude films such as Sinners and The Menu, as they belong to additional genres. In the 2020s, the horror genre has proven inconsistent at securing a position in my annual top 10 films. The notable exceptions include Nosferatu, Late Night with the Devil, and Together. I am now confident that Curry Barker’s Obsession has the potential to join these distinguished films and might even emerge as an early frontrunner for the best film of 2025.

Making first waves in the Midnight Madness lineup at TIFF last year, Obsession was met with immediate attention, becoming one of the biggest talks of the fest. When word got out that Focus Features picked it up for distribution, a lot of people I knew that saw it were confused by that pairing. Regardless, “Obsession” immediately became a movie to add to the watchlist solely off all the noise I had heard. Add in how genius of a minute long teaser the marketing team made back in December, and my interest is beyond peaked! I may have had a bar going into Obsession, but it’s a God ordained miracle that it lived up to it. 

What made Obsession work so well was how unpredictable and scary Barker made it out to be. A large part was how effective Taylor Clemons’ cinematography is. From fittingly using slow push-ins to build tension to lighting a shot a certain way, he helps add another layer of tension to each scare. There was never a moment when the movie had me guessing when the jumpscare would be coming. I was able to anticipate it, but I never knew the exact moment the movie was going to get me. In fact, there were a couple of moments where Obsession caused a vocal reaction from the audience. Whether it be gasps or an “oh my gosh” at full volume, it’s all strategic and unpredictable. 

Furthermore, the scares weren’t the only strong thing Obsession had going for it. The acting here, more specifically from Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, is compelling and captures the essence of their characters. Johnston plays Bear, a dorky guy who hesitates his way through any situation, wants to tell his coworker and lifelong friend Nikki, Navarrette, his feelings for her. While he genuinely doesn’t have the guts to do it, he uses a One Wish Willow luck charm to help the chances of Nikki liking him back. His hesitancy even came in the instance of him getting it, as he has no idea whether the charm actually works or not. To his surprise, it does, but Nikki’s affection for him slowly turns into the age old “be careful what you wish for” conundrum. While the trope has been seen before, it’s how it’s executed here that makes things worthwhile. Nikki is under Bear’s spell (literally), but as time goes on, she becomes creepy and erratic. Johnston dons the conflicted mindset of Bear well, but it’s Navarrette who upstages him, making Nikki the girlfriend from hell. 

There’s a lot to be said about Obsession and how masterful of a horror fest it is, but not all of it can be put into words. When a movie likes this leaves you speechless and refuses to leave your mind long after you leave the theater, that’s how you know you’ve seen something special. Obsession is just that, and it dares audiences to guess what’s going to happen next only for the movie to keep you guessing. When that movie is that confident in itself, that’s more than impressive. To that, I tip my hat to Curry Barker as he’s proven to be an up and coming filmmaker to be on the lookout for.