2026 is dwelling to one more scorching horror breakout in Obsession. Coming courtesy of director Curry Barker (no relation to famed horror icon Clive Barker), who’s a part of a unbroken development of comedy administrators/creatives shifting into the horror area, Obsession is one in every of 2026’s most harrowing watches but. Anchored by a star-making and darkly fascinating efficiency from Inde Navarrette, it readily stakes a declare for greatest movie of the 12 months up to now.
It isn’t due to some vastly unique story. Obsession performs within the well-trodden territory of the “monkey’s paw” story, whereby protagonist Bear (Michael Johnston) has a crush on his co-worker Nikki (Navarrette), although the sentiments are seemingly unrequited. “Seemingly” is a key time period as a result of Bear is just too cowardly to ever totally categorical himself to Nikki. Regardless, Bear occurs to purchase an odd, kitschy trinket, the One Want Willow, and makes use of it in his disappointment, wishing that Nikki cherished him greater than anybody else on this planet. One can guess the place issues go from there.
But the place Obsession shines is in Barker’s pitch-perfect execution. From the second the want is used, Barker makes use of digital camera framing to create pressure, slicing to a large shot of Nikki standing on her porch in shadow as Bear watches by his automobile window. This creeping sense of dread is arguably by no means totally launched till the ultimate moments of the movie, a testomony to Barker’s craft behind the digital camera.
Obsession is masterful in its stability of tone. A lot of the film goals for a darkish off-kilter humor, scenes vacillating between cringe laughter and uncomfortable creepy horror in mere seconds of holding a shot longer than regular. Barker’s instincts are precisely the place they must be, with a number of sequences inflicting one’s face to scrunch up in discomfort at what’s onscreen earlier than breaking out in goosebumps because the second escalates.
A lot of this works additionally resulting from Navarrette’s aforementioned efficiency. It isn’t hyperbole to recommend that is an Oscar-worthy flip. She runs a gamut of feelings and locations all through the runtime, alternating between cutesiness, excessive anger, deep ache, and in addition pulling in a jarring physicality when her character does some weird physique actions.
She instructions consideration at any time when onscreen, working in excellent mixture with Barker’s framing in every shot. One such second of a closeup on her face forged in shadows is performed to perfection because it takes on an intentional uncanny valley look, but seemingly with out particular results. It’s simply efficiency and framing and is tremendous unnerving. Navarrette ought to launch into the big-time after this one.
Whereas not fairly as showy, Johnston does a greater than satisfactory job as Bear. His character is that this excellent mixture of dorky nice-guyness, but persevering with down a fallacious path regardless of all of the warning indicators. A lesser performer won’t decide to the bit and provides him extra animus by some means, however Johnston resists such temptation.
As one would possibly guess, Obsession goals to be a commentary on the entitled nature of the “I’m a pleasant man, why received’t she date me?” mindset. This skewers the violation of consent that occurs in romantic dynamics at occasions and the best way relationships can develop into controlling and consuming. Finally, the thematic commentary is a weaker side of Obsession, as Barker is extra involved in ramping up the visceral expertise than something too looking out. Johnston’s Bear additionally arguably wanted to be written a little bit meaner to justify the morality at work. The movie additionally runs barely too lengthy, beginning to lose a tad of steam halfway by the second act.
Such flaws are minor in the long run. Obsession is an unrelenting piece of horror filmmaking and goes to some wild locations alongside the best way. Regardless of the conclusion virtually being foregone when you have any familiarity with “watch out what you would like for” tales, Obsession nonetheless manages loads of surprises en route.
With information that Barker has the keys to the Texas Chain Noticed Bloodbath franchise, there’s hope he would possibly convey high quality again to that collection. Even when we’d desire he retains writing his personal concepts. However we’ll attempt to not obsess concerning the future an excessive amount of.
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