Review by Eric Hillis
Directed by: Curry Barker
Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter
After gathering a sizeable following on YouTube with a series of short comedy skits, Curry Barker used that platform to self-release his feature film debut, 2024's found footage thriller Milk & Serial. Available to watch for free, that movie has racked up over two million views. It's no surprise then that Hollywood knocked on Barker's door, but what is perhaps surprising is how much the Blumhouse-backed Obsession feels like an indie movie rather than a Hollywood production. With an intimate cast and just a handful of locations, you suspect Barker would have made Obsession himself if the House of Blum hadn't thrown money in his direction. Unlike so many other filmmakers who have been rendered soulless by the studio system, Barker has maintained his vision here, and he even casts Milk & Serial's Cooper Tomlinson in a major supporting role.
Obsession is a very modern riff on the old Monkey's Paw "be careful what you wish for" premise. Like Milk & Serial, it rubs up against the current hot button issue of the "male loneliness epidemic." Its protagonist, Bear (Michael Johnston), isn't an outright sociopath like the central figure Barker played himself in his debut, but he is a wrong 'un. He just doesn't realise it, believing himself to be a nice guy in classic incel fashion.
Bear is madly in love with Nikki (Inde Navarrette), his friend and co-worker at a music store, but he can't bring himself to let her know how he feels. Along with worrying that any backfiring declaration of love would destroy his friendship with Nikki, he has also been dissuaded by their friend Ian (Tomlinson). There is little evidence that Nikki has any reciprocal romantic interest in Bear, unlike their friend Sarah (Megan Lawless), who dotes over the oblivious Bear.
The Monkey's Paw narrative clicks into gear when Bear comes across what seems like a novelty wish-granting toy called "One Wish Willow." The "toy" consists of a stick that, once broken in half, allows its owner one wish. Bear of course wishes for Nikki to love him more than anyone in the world. He gets his wish alright, but Nikki transforms into a hollowed out version of herself whose entire personality is built around her devotion to Bear. He's initially fine with that, but then Nikki begins to turn violent, harming both herself and others...
After a period of self-serious, dare I say "elevated" horror movies, the likes of Damian McCarthy, Zach Cregger and Barker are bringing the fun back to the horror genre. Barker's background in comedy proves a surprisingly natural fit for his style of horror filmmaking, reminding us how both disciplines are equally reliant on clever use of editing, staging and timing. Barker takes old comedy techniques and gives them a new lease of life in a horrific setting. It's difficult for modern viewers to understand that when 1930s audiences watched Bob Hope's The Cat and the Canary they considered it as much a horror movie as a comedy. It's essentially an "old dark house" chiller that just happens to have Bob Hope in it. Barker does something similar here. Obsession is a straightforward horror movie, one that goes to shockingly dark places; it just happens to have the sort of protagonist you usually find in an '80s sex comedy.
Johnston and Navarrette are a knockout double act. Their dynamic is reminiscent of when Elmer Fudd gets uncomfortable around Bugs Bunny in drag, with Bear freaked out by Nikki's animalistic behaviour. There are several moments where Barker pulls out the old trope of Lou Costello turning to face the camera and shivering in fear as something monstrous happens in the background, and Johnston is only short of making chattering teeth noises. The young actor has an impressive ability to make us laugh at his character while also fearing for him. Navarrette is terrifying as the transformed Nikki, her performance veering from classic overbearing girlfriend to something more primal.
Barker's great trick here is in manipulating us into empathising with Bear, who is the film's real villain for most of its running time through his refusal to accept that he's taking advantage of Nikki's awful predicament. The scenario raises unsettling questions around consent and the entitlement of many young males who feel they deserve a partner without putting in the work to earn one. The comedy here is uncomfortable because it's relatably gendered - I could sense every man in my screening sink into their seats during a scene where Bear asks Nikki for approval to attend a "boy's night" without her.
The horror works in tandem with such relatability. The setup is as hokey as any EC Comic story, but the small cast of characters all feel familiar. This greatly helps us buy into the fantastical elements, which Barker never feels the need to obscure. Barker refuses to explain his film's supernatural elements, as he understands that the audience doesn't care, and if they do, why are they watching a horror movie? A lot of filmmakers would feel obliged to add a subplot where Bear investigates the origins of One Wish Willow, but Barker dismisses such silliness with a comic scene in which Bear is mocked by a customer care rep voiced, tellingly, by the director himself.
If I have one quibble with Obsession it's that, much like Milk & Serial, it ends in anti-climactic fashion. It's lacking that one final twist that would seal the deal. Barker may need to figure out how to wrap up his movies in a more satisfying manner, but Obsession cements him as one of the most exciting new talents in American horror.
Obsession is in UK/ROI cinemas from May 15th.
