Obsession isn’t perfect, but it’s a lesson that Hollywood can’t ignore

The Mandalorian and Grogu have arrived in theatres, the latest Star Wars film, but the movie everyone’s actually talking about is Obsession. Released with little to no major promotion, or we say smart promotions, this horror film, or, what I may call a traumatic experience, has taken the world by storm, surpassing all expectations. The film has completely blown audiences away, not just in the United States, but globally. Word-of-mouth and social media buzz have turned it into an unexpected box office phenomenon. But what is it about this movie that has everyone talking? Does it have groundbreaking VFX? A-list stars? Out-of-this-world locations? If not, then what is it about Obsession that has catapulted it to unprecedented success and given big studios with massive budgets a lesson to learn?

YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker’s low-budget movie is doing the unthinkable. Although the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, it went unnoticed, like many festival movies, because it had no star power or promotion. Audiences, who often focus on starry premieres, overlooked it. Cut to May 15. When the movie hit theatres, the world finally saw what Barker had in store, a wish of his that has probably come true.

Obsession

While the movie may be in the headlines for its box office earnings and becoming the most profitable film of the year, there are several other good reasons to talk about it. It’s how Barker has proved that stories can be told on a shoestring budget, without hundreds of thousands of dollars or a huge cast (Big studios to think here), and what you really need is the perfect cast, the perfect direction, perfect storytelling, and altogether, the result is the Obsession.

Set in a town, the movie revolves around Bear (Michael Johnson), the boy who has feelings for his college, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). She's nice to her, and he's afraid of confessing his feelings to her. While he's juggling his feelings, he sees a One Wish Willow, a game, which has a wooden stick. So what you have to do is to make a wish and break it. So, Bear, despite being warned by the shop woman, buys and makes the wish that Nikki should love him most in the whole world. What he wished, he got. In a snap of a minute, Nikki is all obsessed and in love with Bear. What starts as a dream come true for the one-sided crush quickly turns dark, as Bear soon realises that his wish was nothing less than a death wish. This is probably what he wanted and was desperately needed way too soon.

The terrifying side of love

Barker has crafted the world of Obsession to be not just horrific but truly terrifying. This terror does not come from a ghost howling in the shadows, or from exorcisms. No priests are chanting, no demons clawing at the walls. The horror here is emotional. It’s psychological. Obsession is a metaphor for how dangerous human emotions can go overboard, how loving a person is seen as owning them. With this, the director describes how the scariest monster isn’t supernatural, always.

Still from Obsession Photograph: (X)

Barker's world of Obsession

Michael and Navarrette are the two talents who carry this 1h 48m film almost single-handedly. I’m not saying Obsession is flawless; at times, the movie does feel overstretched. But this drag is quickly covered with genuinely spooky and terrifying moments that are shot in a limited space of a house, a restaurant, and that's all. But all this works because Barker has imagined this world with a masterful sense, and presents it in a way that feels even more demonic. With a simple home setup, a few scenes in the film are so well shot, but what works here is the performance, and Navarette truly won here. Her swift emotions are real, not forced.

Still from Obsession Photograph: (X)

For example when Nikki wants Bear close. One second, she’s screaming in his ear, desperately. Next, she’s calm. Even in the gorier scenes, her face is all bloody, she looks miserable, broken, but her expressions stay smooth, like nothing is wrong. That’s what makes it land. It’s raw. It’s human. And apparently, the most chilling horror doesn’t need demons. Sometimes, it is just the most terrible and almost unimaginable sight of a room where two people are living a life together, but neither of them truly belongs there.

Obsession is not the perfect film, but it’s a lesson

Obsession has its faults. At times, the pacing drags and makes you check your watch. But look at what Barker has done with an approximately $750,000 to $1 million budget. A limited cast. And yet he delivers what many big production houses are failing to do - tell a story that feels fresh and terrifying. That’s the real gut-punch of Obsession. It’s proof that great stories and great talent don’t always get the platform they deserve.

In an industry which is now obsessed with $200M budgets, endless VFX, Obsession is proof for studio executives watching: audiences don’t crave spectacle. They crave stories and performance.