Obsession [2025]

October 21, 2026

Well, I guess it’s time to talk about one of the biggest indie horror movies of this summer. The other one is Backrooms, of course. After that Barbenheimer hype just a couple of years ago, it’s nice to see something different take the throne. Before I go any further, I have to tell you that if you have seen the movie, you should check out Obsession – A Terrifying Layer Everybody Missed. In this in-depth analysis, I go deep, perhaps too deep, into the themes of this movie. With that said, let’s move on. Obsession is a dark psychological thriller with strong horror elements and a smidge of absurdist humor. It’s got that post-COVID horror vibe, I guess best described as an A24 vibe.

So, expect a tight, high-concept production focusing on the characters and tense atmosphere, with just a few graphic scenes and jump scares. It’s about Bear, a shy guy working at a music store who’s in love with his hot coworker Nikki. Not so versed in the art of seduction, he bumbles every attempt to ask her out on a date. However, one night he buys a strange novelty toy that’s supposed to grant him one wish. Bear, predictably, wishes that Nikki falls in love with him, and from that moment on, the horror starts. You know what they say: be careful what you wish for. When you look at the premise for this movie, it’s boringly familiar. A group of young people working in a music store, romance, and a fucking mogwai that sparks chaos.

Bear even receives a warning that what he’s about to buy might be dangerous. They should’ve just told him not to let it come into contact with water or feed it after midnight. And Nikki does turn into a Gremlin, so there’s that. I have to admit that without that layer I was talking about at the beginning, Obsession would’ve been just another watchable psychological thriller/horror. Character development is almost non-existent, which makes what the cast did here truly amazing. Michael Johnston was excellent as the mopey, seemingly good guy Bear, while I think you already know how good his co-star was. This is a breakout role for Inde Navarrette, and she fucking earned it. Granted, I see a little bit too much of Mia Goth from Ti West’s X trilogy (X, Pearl, and MaXXXine).

However, Inde has such a screen presence that you’ll forget all about that in no time. I would say that the main story and the script are the two main issues with Obsession. The rest of the stuff was excellent. Especially for a production of this size. With a budget of just $750.000 they truly did wonders. The atmosphere was tense and unnerving, complemented by the slow-burning pace. I think that for the first time I’m going to say that I didn’t like the gross-out scenes. The whole concept was too simplistic and formulaic for my taste. Like, every 15 minutes we need to have a scene involving bodily fluids or something disgusting. The reason why I didn’t like this is that it lacked something behind it. A better story, a subplot, anything, really.

This works well in comedies, but here it just seems forced. Obsession asks you to completely suspend your belief when it comes to the characters. The main story is quite predictable, and you can figure out what’s going to happen early on. It’s more of an absurdist rom-com gone wrong than an outright horror movie. It explores a lot of interesting issues, from morality over toxic relationships to love, control, and autonomy. Underneath all the grossness and creepiness, just beneath the surface, there are nuggets of gold. If you’re willing to look for them, of course. So, I would suggest that you go into Obsession with low expectations. Don’t believe the hype, and you should be okay.

Moreover, try to figure out why this movie went viral. Was it because of Inde Navarrette and her performance? Was it because her character was this creepy but hot little girl willing to burn the world to be with you? Or was it because it deals with toxic relationships and behavior some of you might recognize? Since Curry Barker, writer and director of this movie, is a YouTube sketch comedian, maybe he got the format right. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.