Is it possible for a film to be too effective? The new horror film, Obsession, though a great film, was incredibly unsettling, to the point that it honestly begs the question. Fair warning, we're going to get into some spoilers as we proceed in this discussion of the film.
The film is about a guy who makes a wish for his crush to fall in love with him, and that wish comes true in the worst possible way. There are layers to how disturbing this movie gets, and the various different horrors that come into play. Right off the bat, I'd like to reiterate that this was a tremendously made film. The use of lighting and shadows is brilliant, the writing is well thought out (every time I thought I found a hole in the film's plot, the film eventually addressed it), and the acting is top notch, particularly from Inde Navarrette, who gives an outstandingly dynamic performance. This is a hauntingly captivating movie that'll ingrain its horrifying visuals and ideas into your mind.
The movie is also incredibly brutal, again, to a disturbing degree, and some characters' fates are sealed in ways that they really, truly don't deserve, but which sadly make all too much sense within the narrative. It's truly a feel bad movie in the best way possible. When I left the theater, I wasn't sure how much I even liked the movie, as it left me feeling dirty for even watching it, and yet I held nothing but high regard for it.
The concepts this movie deals with are truly skin crawling, and director Curry Barker doesn't shy away from going all the way with his best worst ideas. The character of Nikki doesn't just fall for our lead, she becomes possessed by a different entity entirely who is dangerously obsessed with him, while the real Nikki finds herself trapped inside her own body. I've played with this idea in some of my own fiction, both published and unpublished to date, but this film really nails just how terrifying such a scenario would be in reality.
And that's not even the main concept of horror at play. Our lead character, Bear, finds himself having to deal with the overly obsessed girlfriend who's overly emotional and possessive, and it's truly terrifying stuff. She watches him sleep, she desperately duct tapes the door shut to try and trap him inside, and that's just the tame stuff, as I don't want to give everything away in this review. And yet, horrific as the situation is that Bear finds himself in, he's not so innocent himself. Over the course of the film, he realizes that he's not dealing with the real Nikki, that the real her is trapped inside of her. And yet, in one of the most soul crushing moments in the movie, he scolds the real Nikki, asking if it's really so bad being with him, and ultimately accepts that he's fully taking advantage of her, despite all the horror it's bringing into his own life.
Again, in some ways, for me watching this movie is like watching some of my own creative ideas I've played with in my writing coming to life on screen, even if the movie isn't exactly a one for one of those ideas. Some of those ideas I ultimately decided to shelve for various reasons, and seeing those ideas brought to fruition in this film sorta reinforces my decision to move in a different direction creatively, as the end product is incredibly creepy to bare witness to, particularly for my standards. But kudos to the director for totally going all in to those darker places.
In the end, I almost wish I hadn't even watched it. I honestly don't even gravitate towards horror movies these days, despite how many horror films keep getting recommended to me, and this film served as a starch reminder of that. I was left feeling like I needed a palette cleanse after the movie. I felt like I needed to take a shower and wash myself clean. So, was the movie too effective at what it was setting out to achieve? Maybe. And yet, despite it all, how bone chillingly dark and creepy and even rapey the movie can get, I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.
