After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price. Releasing May 15
Studio: Blumhouse
Director: Curry Barker
Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Megan Lawless, Cooper Tomlinson
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Metacritic: 80 / 100
Some Reviews:
The Daily Beast - Nick Schager
This stellar thriller is a deliriously pointed cautionary tale about the perils of getting what you want, and an instant contender for classic midnight-movie status. Poking and prodding viewers in order to challenge their feelings about the “moral obligation” partners have to each other, Curry Barker's theatrical debut is the best kind of nightmare: relatable, knotty, amusing, and absolutely unhinged.
RogerEbert - Brian Tallerico - 4 / 4
Curry Barker’s “Obsession” is consistently f-ed up, and I mean that as a compliment. I see so many horror movies that threaten to get weird and gnarly, only to pull their punches right when shit gets real. Barker pulls nothing, getting darker, creepier, and bloodier with each passing scene in this study of extreme dependence. Some of the performances are a bit clunky, but that almost makes it more charming, a reminder of how great it can be when a horror movie sneaks up out of nowhere and punches you in the face. I was unfamiliar with Barker’s previous work. I plan to seek it out now. With the right studio, this movie should break him big.
Dread Central - Josh Korngut - 5 / 5
At its rotten core, the character of Nikki is what makes Obsession so relentlessly scary. Upon its eventual release, much attention will likely spotlight Barker’s penchant for shocking gore and next-level jump scares. But the film’s purest horror lives in its fleeting glimpses of Nikki’s existential torment and Bear’s unforgiving burdens of grief and regret. On the page, this might just look like A24 horror filtered through a Gen Z lens. But in practice, it’s something altogether new: a brutal, expert vision of the next generation of hardcore horror. And don’t kid yourself—you’re not ready. I sure wasn’t.
AwardsWatch - Ryan McQuade - 'A'
Obsession is a new modern horror masterpiece that makes Barker one of the latest voices in the genre to keep an eye on as he knocked it out of the park with this one, creating as interesting, engrossing, dark film that ranks up there with Zach Cregger’s Weapons as one of the best horror films of the decade so far. Johnston and Navarrette are brilliantly cast in this film, with Navarrette delivering the stunning performance that will rank as one of the best by year’s end, alongside the film’s impeccable sound work, expert editing by Barker, and killer score by Rock Burwell.
Far Out Magazine - Liam Gaughan - 4.5 / 5
While it conjures pure dread and deeply uncomfortable conversations about consent, Obsession is also compulsively entertaining, with scenes or prolonged suspense that rank as minor masterpieces in their own right, and while not every much-hyped festival horror film can live up to expectations, this one is a burst of originality that feels sorely desired.
The Mary Sue - Rachel Leishman - 4.5 / 5
I loved watching Obsession in a packed theater. The collective gasps, jumps, and nervous laughter created the kind of tension-filled atmosphere that reminds you why horror plays best in a theater. It’s rare for a film to hold an audience in that kind of shared tension from start to finish. Overall, Obsession turns a seemingly simple premise into a nerve-rattling exploration of love, control, and unintended consequences. It’s unsettling, unpredictable, and proof that sometimes the most terrifying thing isn’t the supernatural force behind a wish, but the human desire that made the wish in the first place.
The Guardian - Benjamin Lee - 4 / 5
Like the Philippou Brothers, who also came from YouTube to make the horror hit 'Talk to Me', Barker has a passion for the visceral repulsion of head-smashing and in one particularly nasty scene, knows how to make the aftermath even harder to watch, and listen to, than the event itself. His shocks are brutally efficient but as a director of mostly shorts, he’s still yet to master pace. There’s something a little indulgent about the film’s 108-minute length, which in the last act adds bagginess to what could have been a tightier, punchier horror. Barker is no by means alone with this issue in the genre, though, and he’s got time to figure that out with super-producer Jason Blum signing Barker up this week. It’s the kind of dream ascent that any film-maker would wish for.
Radio Times - Rosie Fletcher - 4 / 5
Obsession doesn't have a particularly surprising plot, but the way it's shot is innovative. Utilising his meagre resources to the max, Barker pulls off at least one impressive and gory jump scare that is sure to shock audiences. Sincere, fresh and darkly funny (Bear's call to the "One Wish Willow" helpline is hilarious), this is an impressive film from Barker that begs the question, "What could he accomplish if he had a proper budget?" Be careful what you wish for.
Bloody Disgusting - Meagan Navarro - 4 / 5
Obsession takes you on a wild ride. While Monkey’s Paw scenarios often yield predictable outcomes, and this outcome is practically telegraphed from the start, Barker manages to surprise with the journey itself. And it’s one insane journey paved with blood-soaked violence and no shortage of nightmare fuel. Barker acknowledges other wish-fulfillment horror, like Wishmaster in a throwaway line, but puts his stamp on the niche subgenre with frightening flair.
The Curb - Nadine Whitney - 4 / 5
Obsession is a vivid and unforgettable experience that reaches far deeper than it seems to at first. Curry Barker has made a horror movie that delves into the rot at the heart of some men and their expectations that because they want something they can have it and any cost – even if that something is a human being. Obsession leaves the audience with the bitter realisation that somewhere somebody is snapping a metaphorical One Wish Willow hoping that the girl of their dreams understands that really, they’re the nice guy. Who really is the deranged one?
SciFi Now - Katherine McLaughlin - 4 / 5
Does love make monsters of us all? Does it rob us of our potential and focus? Barker appears to be asking multiple questions about young love and how it can push people to ugly and harmful places, and it’s all handled with queasy relish. It’s an impressive debut and a truly disturbing horror film.
InSession Film - Joshua Mbonu - 'A-'
Director/Writer Curry Barker helms Obsession with such effortless confidence, blending pitch-black humor with insanely cruel subject matter so effectively, but Obsession truly hums when its unrelenting dread sets a truly terrifying tone within every scene of escalation. Barker has such patience with the way shots are framed in the shadows and how a scare isn’t released until the highest point of tension that you’ll be holding your breath throughout the film’s entirety. All of that on top of a star-making performance from Inde Navarrette makes Obsession easily the year’s best horror movie thus far.
SlashFilm - BJ Colangelo - 8.5 / 10
"Obsession" deserves to reach the acclaimed heights of "Weapons," and Navarrette commands the same level of attention as Amy Madigan, and I'm willing to use my One Wish Willow to make it happen — side effects be damned.
FandomWire - Richard Valero - 8 / 10
Curry Barker’s Obsession is a twisted horror love affair with a star-making performance by Inde Navarrette. Barker’s creative horror mind is something we should all get used to seeing because this is just the beginning for him. If Obsession gets a wide release, it has all the makings of being a box office hit with a cult-type following.
IGN - Matt Donato - 8 / 10
Obsession should and will put Barker on the map as a horror filmmaker you need to watch. Thanks to fantastic turns by Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, you'll be addicted to this sour Valentine's Day counterprogramming. The film plays on familiar romance and monkey's paw tropes, turning a wish against the wishee, but Barker's execution takes things to the next level. In the film's simplicity lay the chance to go for broke, putting all efforts into the lengths Nikki is willing to go for her beloved. With that focus and Barker's fearlessness, Obsession becomes one hell of a maximalist ride.
At times during Obsession, I was laughing out loud. At other times, I was legitimately terrified. And there were plenty of moments along the way filled with shock and disgust. It has everything you could want in a horror movie...It's brilliant.
BFI Sight & Sound - Virginie Sélavy
Obsession is well crafted and enjoyable, and holds a troubling mirror to current male fears and desires. Despite the serious undercurrent, the film is satisfyingly comic. Skilfully blending genres, Obsession mixes intense outbursts of bloody violence with social awkwardness, laugh-out-loud humour with visceral horror.
IndieWire - Christian Zilko - 'B+'
In one of the best horror films of this year, director Cory Barker almost seems to be daring his audience to ask themselves how many “good guys” in the theater could be capable of a similar lapse in judgment under certain circumstances. Men and women will experience two very different types of fears when they consider the answer, but “Obsession” should keep everyone awake long after they get home from seeing it.
Giant Freakin Robot - Chris Sawin - 3 / 5
Curry Barker has crafted something mostly special for an almost non-existent budget. The story is compelling, the acting is solid, and Obsession feels like a breath of fresh air in comparison to similar horror films. However, it’s disappointing that one shrill character trait nearly ruins the entire film. It’s because of this that Obsession will have to settle for being a well-made, well-written film dominated by one aggressively irritating character, which will hinder future rewatches much like Frank Darabont’s The Mist.