Obsession
We finally saw Obsession, after what feels like the big movie event of 2026 that has ironically been obsessed over online and everywhere as it seems. So was it worth the hype? I'd say, yeah, for the most part. I don't really have much negative to say about the film but don't quite feel it's the best movie I've ever seen but it definitely is a very well made film in regards to pretty much all departments. The movie is about Bear, the stereotypical incel nice guy who is obsessed with his coworker and friend Nikki and he wants to confess his love to her but at the face of rejection uses a trinket he purchased from an occult shop that grants wishes and wishes she'll love him more than anyone in the world. From there is the story of being careful what you wish for that shows the extremes of his wish and turns the tables on who we see as the monsters and victims of the story. Of course I have to join the masses in praising Inde Navarrette for her performance as Nikki. This is more than just how well she performs Nikki in her state after the wish but more so the range between the different mental states we see Nikki in throughout the film. But I also like how the cinematography enhances the performance even more with how shadows are used especially to cover her face to create tension in the moments when she seems the most erratic and so it helps keep you on the edge of your seat.
The only criticism I have was with its practical effects. Before continuing just going to say that I will be going into SPOILERS, so I highly recommend seeing the film first.
SPOILERS:
But yeah for the props department, in the scene when Nikki kills Sarah, the dummy used for Sarah as Nikki bashes her face into the steering wheel was so poorly made and so obviously fake. In certain movies this would be enjoyed if the movie had a campy vibe to it but this movie didn't have that vibe at all and felt like it's meant to be taken seriously, especially in regards to its horror. But with that said I have more to say that involves spoilers.
I feel this story is so well crafted to be almost like a social experiment that divides people based on their background and experiences. Normally when a story is told of someone making a wish that involves love it's told in a comedic fashion in Hollywood that is solely focused on the perspective of the person making the wish, usually the guy in the story. Obsession twists this as the story asks a simple but powerful question, who's obsession are we witnessing? At face value, it's presented in its marketing and word of mouth as a story about how scary Nikki's obsession becomes of Bear but in reality the story is about Bear's obsession with Nikki and the pitfalls of him taking it to the absolute extreme. There's not much I can say here that hasn't already been said on the countless video essays and posts made analyzing this story but the way it seems to have caused different opinions on the story is fascinating to me.