More than people who love watching cinema, I think the ones who should really watch the most talked-about Hollywood film of recent times, Obsession, are the filmmakers. How this movie is rooted entirely in its writing can inspire many filmmakers and even push some people to step outside their comfort zones. With the storytelling not demanding any grand scale, Curry Barker’s Obsession gloriously reinvents horror cinema. The grounded setup and the way it explores a romanticized idea make it a hilarious and scary experience at the same time. With Indie filmmaking techniques, bringing back the charm of smart visual storytelling, this movie has a very unique cinematic voice.
Baron, aka Bear, is our main guy, and he works in a music store. He has a huge crush on his co-worker Nikki, but his introverted nature won’t allow him to express it properly. At one point, he buys one crazy object that claims it will make his wish come true, and in a moment of despair, Bear wished Nikki would love him more than anyone else in this world. The crazy things that happen after that are what we see in Obsession.
The most commonly romanticized theme in love stories is that of a nerdy or underconfident guy falling in love with a gorgeous girl and struggling to let her know his feelings. The kind of stories that are basically about girls friend-zoning the most eligible guy. Obsession is like a twisted take on that cliched idea. Like, what if the dream of the unrequited lover becomes a reality? It may not be intentional, but when you look at the overall arc of the story, there is a strong political layer that talks about the idea of space in a relationship. In a way, one can say that Obsession is a film that addresses a very grey theme of love and acceptance, but derives a conclusion that feels like a slap rather than a debate.
The fascinating thing about the writing of the movie is that every single scene here has a purpose, and none of the events are done just for the sake of it. One of the earlier moments in the movie smartly foreshadows a critical event in the climax. And they are really taking a deep dive into the idea of obsessive love. The audience has seen the trailer and knows how a particular character will feel about a certain situation. So there is a greater challenge of creating something new that is grounded and shocking at the same time. Every extreme thing that is happening in this story is a result of intense love, and hence, the writing simply can’t go the way of Conjuring by creating a monster who would scream and kill anyone.
This challenging fact that it is all a result of mad love forces the script to reimagine normal acts of love differently, and that leads to some shocking scenarios. Curry Barker knows how to drop details subtly and shockingly. I mean, one of the brilliant reveals in this movie only needed duct tape. That’s why I said this movie would give a massive creative kick to a lot of filmmakers who may be stuck with an idea. Curry Barker and cinematographer Taylor Clemons are simply adjusting the lights on the faces of characters to create that eerie atmosphere. The sound mixing volumes are also done so perfectly to create jump scares. The mix takes into account the emotional state of the central character. The Indian censor board has ruined the goriest scene in this film. But I must say that the editing of that censor cut was so precise that much like Florence Pugh’s black dress in Oppenheimer, it didn’t really reduce the impact of that scene.
Michael Johnston plays the role of Bear in this film, and he portrays the lack of self-confidence believably in the earlier parts. The actor was able to perform the enormous fear in that character when the switch happens in the story. Inde Navarrette, the one who plays the role of Nikki, gets the best part that is highly demanding. In the earlier parts, she is this lovely person, and we do realize why Bear fell for her. And once the switch happens, the shift to the obsessed state is very smooth. And once the obsession is at its peak, the reactions are eccentric, and there are times it switches to an extremely calm tone in a second. And she nailed it every single time.
Obsession is like the best movie Kabir Singh or Arjun Reddy’s partners can show them to let them know how it feels to be loved by them. The movie is basically showing us the impact of possessive love that has no respect for space. But the film is not written keeping in mind these political undertones. What they are doing is exploring the dark possibilities of a seemingly lovely wish coming true, and Curry Barker goes full bonkers with his imagination. Obsession offers a very unique experience where we see couples walking in happily and walking out stressed, while the nonchalant singles walk out with a sense of relief.
