Genre: Horror, Thriller, Supernatural
Directed by: Curry Barker
Starring: Inde Navarrette, Michael Johnston, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless
Platform: Streaming (Peacock)
Rating: 5/5
By Crystal Justine
Seeing ‘From the Mind of Curry Barker’ on screen gives the opposing feelings of fear and excitement, in the best way. From his short films seen by millions on YouTube to his new feature film OBSESSION. Curry Barker is a young filmmaker everyone should be keeping a close eye on, whether it’s his originally crafted psychological mindf*cks to taking on one of the biggest IP’s in horror history with Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
OBSESSION is the first feature film by Barker, and although it falls within a trope that’s been done time and time again, Barker does it in a way that surprisingly has not been done before and goes to the extreme with it. Many films have done the ‘wish gone wrong’ trope, and a wish about love may not sound original but the way it goes sideways fast is incredibly unique in an unrelenting way. The film makes the audience question love, friendship, consent and selfishness.
The film follows Bear, who is a seemingly normal young man with a job, friends and a crush. From the beginning Bear is a very relatable character with protagonist vibes. He yearns for a romantic love with his co-worker Nikki but instead of developing a pair, he makes a wish on a kitschy crystal shop toy that Nikki would love him more than life itself. Saying, “Be careful what you wish for,” in this case is a harsh understatement, and the title itself OBSESSION is perfectly fitting. The beauty of this film though isn’t in the visual horror you see on screen; it’s the horror that lingers with you afterwards when you settle more into who the real victim of the story is and what they had to truly endure.
Aside from the phenomenal script, there are numerous aspects as to why OBESSION is a five out of five film, and why Curry Barker is a filmmaker to lookout for. The screenplay itself are the bones, the meat is in the performances and the lovely skin it resides in are by way of the cinematography, set design, practical effects and sound. Going straight into what makes the film so entertaining are the performances by Inde Navarrette, Michael Johnston, Cooper Tomlinson and Megan Lawless.
Actor, Michael Johnston, does a great job at taking the viewers through the perspective of Bear. For some he’s the relatable type of guy they’ve been, while others see him as a relatable type of guy they know. Johnston does a great job of balancing the loving adoration he has with genuine confusion and fear. Just as important as Bear is Nikki played by Inde Navarrette. Nikki is a sweet character, who takes a turn for the worst by basically being cursed into loving a man she doesn’t love. The real Nikki is trapped inside a body possessed with obsession. Navarrette’s performance is incredible as she snaps back and forth between a hopeless confusion and a girl so obsessed beyond belief. Her performance has garnered many fans and helped catapult her to the top of studios lists as it was recently announced that she’ll be playing Rogue in Marvel’s new X-Men movies.
There is a lot of talk when it comes to OBESSION and the themes it tackles. The film brings up co-dependency, consent and accountability all wrapped up in a possession film. It was recently announced that Halloween Horror Nights will include Nikki, and views are very mixed being that Nikki is the victim of the story. Some see Nikki as just another crazy girl, but when you look beneath the surface Nikki is the victim of Bear’s villainous tale. Not all ‘good guys’ are good, and while Bear didn’t necessarily have ill intent at first, as things unravel into more and more chaos he just cannot let go of the wish he wanted so badly.
Barker set the bar high with OBSESSION being his first feature film. Will his upcoming sophomore film Anything But Ghosts reach the same levels of theatrical success? We’ll find out in 2027 as Barker not only wrote and directed the film but also stars in it as well alongside Bryce Dallas Howard, Aaron Paul and Cooper Tomlinson. OBESSION reached heights not many films reach, especially films in the horror genre. The film is genuinely scary, while also making viewers think deeper bringing important themes into the spotlight. With a budget of $750,000 Barker’s hit grossed almost half a billion dollars worldwide, in theaters. Movie theaters are finally bouncing back post-Covid, and films like OBSESSION and filmmakers like Curry Barker are a big reason why people are obsessed with the movies again.
