Obsession (2026) Review

Having watched horror for a high proportion of my life now (god I’m old!), it often comes as a shock when a movie manages to truly gets under my skin, frightening me to the core and replaying in my mind for days after. Obsession is one of those movies.

Starting out with a simple enough setup we are introduced to Bear (Teen Wolf’s Michael Johnston), a regular guy who has had a very long-term crush on his work colleague and childhood friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette from Superman and Lois).

Gripped by nerves and unable to tell her how he feels, much to the chagrin of his fellow co-workers and buddies Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless), he finally decides that the next quiz night at their local bar will be the time to reveal all to his obsessive infatuation.

Popping into a hippy dippy crystal shop to purchase Nikki a gift, he stumbles onto a novelty present in the form of a ‘One Wish Willow’, the box of which claims it will grant one wish when broken.

Later that night after failing to both proclaim his true love to Nikki or give her the gift, he breaks it himself, alone and in frustration, wishing for her to love him more than anyone else. To his surprise Nikki suddenly appears at his car, insisting on spending the night with him and claiming she needs his company as her dad is dying.

After a strange night where Nikki appears to be fixated on Bear but suddenly screams when the pair kiss (and an even stranger morning when she digs up his dead cat and makes a memorial out of it), Bear believes something must be wrong with her and tells Ian as much the next day when he describes her sudden personality change.

However, when Niki later tells Bear she is in love with him he is swept up in the moment, and unable to believe his wish has finally come true. Quickly, the pair become a couple spending all their time together living out his dream scenario. But this dream soon turns into a nightmare as Nikki’s behaviour goes from erratic to full-on psychotic, with her obsession with him taking over everything.

With his friends thinking he is taking advantage of her fragile mental state, isolated and in constant fear, Bear starts to wonder if the One Wish Willow is actually real, and – if so – how he can stop the hell he has unleashed in his life while still keeping his one true love.

Highly original and brilliantly directed by its writer Curry Barker, better known for his online comedy sketches as part of the duo “That’s a Bad Idea” with Obsession star Cooper Tomlinson, the film blends the everyday and the supernatural in a seamless way. This grounds the film as a modern day take on ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ in the real world.

The film is beautifully shot with a highly creative use of shadows. These dark corners often seem to obscure Nikki’s face, making her all the more menacing. This adds to the evocative imagery, which twists the suburban setting into a twisted unfamiliar landscape is heightened by the disjointed and dissonant score by Rock Burwell.

All of this would be nothing without the spectacular turn from Inde Navarrette, who gives a masterclass in her role as Nikki. From the unsettling smile to the saccharine sweet, yet sinister voice and more, Navarrette never moves into cliche. Somehow Nikki remains a sympathetic character, even when she is terrifying Bear and everyone watching.

This is also because Baker doesn’t let us forget that Nikki is actually the victim here, with some immensely upsetting scenes where her true self is revealed. In many ways it is Bear who is the villain of the whole movie, not only because he is behind the wish, but also, as things get worse rather than stop Nikki he tries to get her to act normal, showing that his desire to have her love him is more important than her happiness or freedom from his wish.

Although Obsession uses several modern horror tropes with jump scares, shocking scenes of self harm, and extreme gore, its true power is in the tension Navarrette’s performance and Baker’s direction create. It’s a tension that builds uncomfortably to a dread-filled boiling point and takes grip for far longer than expected, until the chaotic climactic release when the audience finally feel like they can breath again.

Part Rom-Com gone terribly wrong, part Faustian tale about the dangers of tampering with fate, part possession movie, part revealing discussion of men and women’s views on modern day relationships, Obsession is most importantly one of the most deeply disturbing and scary films you will have seen in a long time.

Movie Rating:

Obsession trailer