Obsession (2026)

​“Obsession” stars Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter.  Released on May 15, 2026, the film follows an employee who uses his wish to make his longtime crush fall in love with him.

The film was written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker, who also directed “Milk & Serial”.  He’s also associated with the internet sketch comedy duo, “That’s a Bad Idea”, alongside Cooper Tomlinson.  We all have that one moment in our lives when we have a crush on someone we’ve known for years, but are too scared to confess to them out of fear of rejection.  But what if there’s a way to make them fall head over heels for you the same way you do for them?  That would be an absolute dream come true, right?  Well, that would depend on what they’re willing to do to retain that love, whatever means necessary.  We’ve heard the phrase “Be careful what you wish for” more times than the number of swipes we've made on our dating apps.  It’s a way of saying that you’re better off with what you have now than hope for something different and regret it later on.  That phrase couldn’t be any truer than it is now, thanks to the latest horror film featuring a comedian going from making audiences laugh to scaring their pants off through their terrifyingly cinematic vision.  Was this downward spiral of obsession worth falling in love with, or is it the type of wish that shouldn’t be granted?  Let’s find out. 

The story centers on Bear (Johnston), a music store employee who works with his childhood friend and co-worker, Nikki (Navarrette).  Bear has strong feelings for Nicki, but has a difficult time voicing them out of fear that she won’t feel the same way towards him.  He then decides to buy a gift for Nikki, leading him to a particular shop where he discovers a mysterious item called the “One Wish Willow”.  This item promises to grant one wish, prompting Bear to purchase it and use it to make Nikki love him more than anyone else in existence.  His wish was suddenly granted, and Nikki immediately fell head over heels for Bear.  However, her sudden affections start to become more problematic, as she becomes increasingly clingy and obsessive, to the point where her emotions are becoming more erratic and even deadly.  This finds Bear in a situation where he faces the consequences of his seemingly “harmless” wish.

I know we’ve been saying this many times, but it’s pretty fascinating that we’re living in an era where comedians and YouTubers created some surprisingly scary horror movies.  Whether it’s Jordan Peele, Chris Stuckmann, Zach Cregger, or RackaRacka, these online celebrities and comedians proved that their visions for the genre are no laughing matter.  Not all of them landed with their executions, of course, but it’s still nice to see their creativity flourish on the big screen outside of them making online videos or comedy sketches.  Now, we have another online icon, Curry Barker, stepping into the horror spotlight with “Obsession”, a Twilight-Zone-like horror movie featuring the fundamental “wish-gone-wrong” concept.  But here’s the catch: it’ll make you want to delete your dating apps forever, or better yet, scare you into actually asking a girl out.  This is another horror film that’s been getting a lot of great buzz since its release, with some calling it the most demented and terrifying movie they’ve seen.  Like we haven’t heard that before.

Fortunately, I’m one of the people who gets to see if that’s really the case, because if there’s one thing that scares me more than monsters and ghosts, it’s lovesick individuals who are off their rockers.  Good thing I don’t get to experience that phase of love…at least not yet.  I usually remain cautious about specific horror movies that were deemed “one of the scariest films ever”, only to find some of them not living up to all those expectations.  But color me surprised when I say that “Obsession” might be the one movie that managed to match that seemingly impossible expectation.  Sure, opinions may vary, depending on a person’s perspective on the horror genre, but personally, this is some pretty messed-up stuff, and I do mean that in the best way.  While “Obsession” plays out exactly what you’d expect from its “monkey’s paw” and “toxic love” tropes, its execution makes its familiarity less campy and more genuinely disturbing.  It’s dark, awkward, humorously deranged, and, above all, sadistically frightful.

All of these elements came together seamlessly under Curry Barker's watchful eye.  I haven’t seen his previous film, “Milk & Serial”, so I was left wondering what made him capable of helming a horror film like this.  After watching the movie, I may have found that answer.  “Obsession” could have easily turned into just another typical, subpar horror movie filled with mindless chaos, relentless gore, and numerous jump scares.  However, that is not the case.  Instead, Barker envelops the familiar structure with a sense of craftsmanship and atmospheric dread that made me feel genuinely uneasy.  I’ve experienced this sensation multiple times while watching various elevated horror films, and “Obsession” stands out as another compelling example that evokes the same unsettling feeling.  This is evident throughout the movie’s buildup, which delivered both effective dark humor and a rewarding dose of insanity alongside discomforting frights.  There were actually times when I was like, “Okay, get me out of this relationship right now!  Goodbye, crazy lady, have fun being alone.”

This is another movie that uses supernatural horror tropes to highlight the cautionary lesson and its authenticity.  While there are some supernatural elements involved, particularly the “One Wish Willow”, it’s more along the lines of a psychological horror film mixed in with some romance and dark humor.  You can practically take away the wish aspect, and you still get a terrifying reflection on love and toxic obsession.  Barker not only did an amazing job visualizing its sadistic tone and nightmarish craft, but also provided a strong screenplay that effectively handles its usual tropes.  Yes, it’s a familiar lesson that shouldn't be ignored, but his screenplay actually emphasized the genuine terror of making a wish.  However, it’s also mainly about the difference between real love and fake love, in which taking a shortcut to a woman’s heart can only take you so far.  Unfortunately for its main character, he figured that out the hard way when he changed his childhood friend, and it was incredibly satisfying to witness the consequences unfold.

Like I said, it’s messed up, but in the best way, especially in the film’s second half.  It even has this one sequence that had to be trimmed down to avoid an NC-17 rating, and I can see why.  There were a few times where it could’ve ended up being too far-fetched for its own good, particularly for Nikki’s odd behaviors.  Fortunately, Curry Barker managed to retain the grounded nature of the scenario without losing much of the shock factor from her actions.  His vision was also enhanced by its haunting score and eerily striking cinematography.  Rock Burwell’s score underscores the film's atmosphere of dread and madness without overwhelming the audience.  At the same time, Taylor Clemons’s cinematography captures the unsettling nature of Bear’s loneliness and his discomfort with Nikki.  These two elements, working in harmony with Barker’s vision, create another shocking, crazy, and expertly crafted experience that dares to be viewed with an audience.

However, the experience isn’t complete without the main actors leading the charge, and yeah.  They most definitely made this experience worth it.  Michael Johnston is another promising actor worth keeping an eye on due to his superb performance as Bear.  He conveyed his character’s awkwardness and uneasiness with a nuanced flair, without overselling them.  Johnston certainly made Bear feel more like a flawed human being who shot himself in the foot by not having the courage to ask his childhood friend out.  Speaking of which, I know you guys wanted to know my thoughts on Inde Navarrette’s performance as Nikki, so I’m just going to go straight out of the gate and say…wow.  This wasn’t the first time I saw Navarrette in the movie, as I’ve also seen her in “Trap House” with Dave Bautista.  Long story short, it’s not worth your time, but Navarrette’s performance in “Obsession” most certainly is.  Navarrette proved herself to be a terrific actor throughout the film’s runtime, but when it comes to her blend of crazy and scary, she also makes me afraid of her.  Either way, I can agree that Inde Navarrette is one of the movie’s highlights, delivering what I believe to be her best and most frightening performance of her career.  Regarding her impeccable range and authenticity, Navarrette flawlessly conveys her character as both a threat and the victim of Bear’s selfish wish.  Here’s hoping we get to see more of her in the future, especially in the horror genre.  

Overall, “Obsession” is a haunting, sadistic, and satisfyingly twisted experience that fulfills its wish of being a genuinely terrifying modern dating nightmare.  Its themes are familiar by design, but Curry Barker utilizes them to effectively convey a demented, gradually unnerving depiction of toxic obsession caused by a person’s wish.  Most well-received horror movies tend to be perceived as overhyped in terms of their scare factor and narratives.  But this is one specific case where it actually lives up to that specific hype.  It not only revitalizes the traditional monkey’s paw formula and toxic love tropes, but also makes them more terrifying through its tragic consequences and discomforting frights.  The result is one of the most impactful and insane horror movies of the year that many genre enthusiasts will obsess over for a long time.  More importantly, it indicates a promising future for Curry Barker as a filmmaker, continuing the recent trend of online celebrities and comedians expressing their passion for horror through their creativity.  It’s definitely worth watching if you're a fan of horror, especially with an audience, that is, if you’re brave enough to handle its craziness.

A