“Obsession” is written and directed by Youtube filmmaker Curry Barker, who begins with an almost mundane dilemma. Bear (played by Michael Johnston) an employee in a music-store, has a crush on his co-worker Nikki (played by Inde Navarrette), but time after time, in those fleeting quiet moments with her, he chokes up—to the point that he’s almost more annoying than sympathetic.
Finally, he resorts to a One Wish Willow, a novelty item sold in occult stores. Impulsively, he breaks the toy and expresses his one desire, that Nikki love him more than anybody in the world.
What follows is Bear and Nikki in a young-lovers montage, and apparent happiness. But you know the moral of these stories is always “Be careful what you wish for.” In a classic “Twilight Zone” version of that fable, a naive hero found himself stuck with an unbearably clingy girlfriend.
The transformed, possessive Nikki proves to be a lot more frightening. She’s bipolar disorder, combined with demonic possession, and on steroids. She can go from zero to 100, from girl next door to a succubus bearing down on you like a freight train, and you don’t know what part of the spectrum you’re going to see next.
In a scene that’s both chilling and funny, Bear is able to call the Wish Willow’s Tech Support number. The voice on the other end is definitely not helpful.
Director Barker certainly earns the R rating for his story. There are not that many instances of violent gore, but when they occur, they’re jaw-dropping.
Barker keeps his audience spooked with his use of sound, music, darkness and disturbing ways to recycle a dead cat.
Most of all, the film relies on Navarrette’s ferocious balls-to-the-wall performance as Nikki, while Johnston, as Bear, is increasingly terrified and desperate, even though we don’t forget that he’s lying in the bed that he made.
So guys? The moral here is that you shouldn’t be afraid to express your feelings,because the alternative could be a lot worse.
There could also be a lesson for Hollywood, with the success of this movie and another entry, “Backrooms”, highlighted by Friday Reviewer Bill Skinner last month, while other summer blockbusters fall flat on their faces.
In the end, “Obsession” gets four-and-a-half freaky Valentines out of five.
