Consent, entitlement or codependency? What Obsession really says about fatal attraction | Explained
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Scenes from film Obsession Photograph: (X)
Psychological horror film Obsession was released in Indian cinemas on May 19, and fans are still raving about the plot, the performance and the culture of relationships. Read to know more.
Psychological horror film Obsession released in cinemas in India on May 29. Helmed by YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker, the film explores the story of two individuals caught in a dangerous cycle of romance and entitlement, gradually losing themselves in the process. But how far can one go to achieve something, regardless of consequences — even at the cost of one's own mental sanity? At the same time, Obsession makes it so uncomfortable to watch and yet so difficult to ignore.
How Does Obsession Begin? ; Why It Was Never Innocent
The story follows Bear, who works at a music store alongside his friends Ian and Sarah. He confides in a friend said that he likes Nikki, one of his colleagues at the same store. There is, however, one problem, he does not have the courage to confess his feelings to her. To surprise Nikki, Bear shops for a gift at a crystal shop and buys her a One Wish Willow, a novelty toy that claims to grant one wish per person when broken.
Also Read: Obsession box office: American film opens strong on day 1, outgrosses several Indian releases
When Nikki senses Bear's feelings and asks him directly if he likes her, he quickly says no. In frustration, he breaks the One Wish Willow. He barely has time to process what he has done before Nikki appears at his door, asking to spend more time with him — to stay at his house. From that moment, unusual and disturbing circumstances begin piling up, leading to the elimination of people around them one by one, all because of one thing: Obsession.
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The Main Problem: Bear Never Thought He Did Anything Wrong
The central issue is that Bear never believes he did anything wrong — even as the consequences of his wish spiral completely out of control. In Bear's mind, Nikki's obsession with him after the wish was a harmless longing, the quiet desperation of a nice guy who simply wanted to be chosen.
Also Read: Obsession director Curry Barker lands major deal for third film with Universal and Blumhouse
But one question persists throughout — if Bear was wrong, was Nikki not equally problematic in her entitled behaviour? Without Bear's consent, she snips his hair while he sleeps. She refuses to let him leave. She manipulates situations to make him do exactly what she wants.
Does consent disappear when one is obsessed?
Obsession revolves around consent, entitlement and codependency. The central themes of Obsession revolve around consent, entitlement and codependency. The film examines whether Bear is truly held accountable for what he set in motion or whether the horror of Nikki's transformation quietly redirects audience sympathy back to him.
Bear is not a villain in the traditional sense. He is polite, soft-spoken and well-meaning by his own measure. And yet, Bear created a dynamic that made Nikki overly clingy, erratic and possessive. This is the story of a man who blurred love into mania through a wish because he could not muster the courage to simply confess his feelings. Instead, he let supernatural forces do what he could not. The horror of getting exactly what you thought you wanted — from another person who had no say in giving it. The wish did not create love. It created dependency. Those are not the same thing.
When Does Attraction in Obsession Become Fatal?
Obsession inverts the familiar horror template; the wish originates with the man, but the horror originates with the woman. The question the film never fully answers is whether this inversion genuinely challenges that dynamic or simply adds a layer of irony to it. Even as things deteriorate for Bear, Nikki remains the character you truly empathise with — the real victim, trapped inside a body she cannot control.
The Ending: No One Walks Away
At the end of the film, after Nikki murders Ian and Sarah, Bear decides to overdose on drugs, choosing to die in order to free her from his spell. He is momentarily entranced by her in turn, caught briefly in a wish of his own making, before dying himself, leaving Nikki screaming and alone.
The only potential upside is that Nikki is herself again. But she still has to face the consequences of everything that happened while she was brainwashed, including several murder charges, given her fingerprints are all over multiple weapons and corpses. Nobody wins. Nobody walks away clean. And that, perhaps, is exactly the point.
