Last night I saw ‘Obsession’ and oh my godddd, it’s probably the best movie of the year.
I’ve seen most of the movies that have been released, and ‘Obsession’ could easily compete with ‘Project Hail Mary’, ‘Disclosure Day,’ and ‘The Odyssey.’
It makes me think about how the strongest genres of the year are horror and science fiction. At the moment, comedy and drama are pretty weak and aren’t attracting much attention.
To date, Curry Baker’s ‘Obsession’ has grossed $428 million against a budget of $1 million.
That success isn’t by chance; there’s a lot behind it.
We’re introduced to (Bear), the typical “nice guy” in love with a girl (Nikki) who sees him as nothing more than a friend.
Unable to confess his feelings, he finds a mysterious object called the One Wish Willow, which grants him one wish: that Nikki loves him more than anyone else in the world.
Will that wish be what he wants most or his worst nightmare?
It's a story that works incredibly well, maintaining a high level of anxiety throughout the entire film without constantly screaming at you to be scared.
It leaves you uncomfortable, frightened, and everything falls into place exactly as it should.
I see it as unique in its genre, exploring themes of unrequited love, codependent relationships, whether we truly want what we so desperately desire, and what it means to truly love.
Many say it falls into the "good guy trope," and I couldn't help but see it, since, of course, Bear is in love, and because he's too shy to act, he makes a wish out of sheer inadequacy, never imagining it would come true. But then what?
When Nikki behaves strangely, hurting herself and others, why doesn't Bear react? Is it because he doesn't want to leave her? Can he accept that she doesn't actually love him? That fragility of not accepting that a girl isn't going to give you the time of day, and despite knowing something is wrong, doesn't it bother you that the girl loves you against her will and on top of that expects her to be perfect?
It makes me think about any toxic relationship one can have, how we place expectations on others, or conversely, how we transform ourselves to please the other person and feel like we're not enough.
Obviously, I was thinking about Nikki the whole time, how her true self was suffering from living through something she didn't want, from not being able to do or say what she wanted, feeling trapped in a body completely possessed by another entity.
I also think about that entity consumed by a false, obsessive love, a consequence of a selfish mindset that is never questioned, not even when Nikki begs to end her suffering.
That entity that thinks it has to be perfect, attentive, and accommodating, regardless of its physical or mental well-being.
Overall, it's a film that can be viewed from many perspectives: societal expectations of women, fragile masculinity, toxic relationships—in short, it has a little bit of everything to discuss at length.
I'm a huge fan of this more psychological kind of horror. I was terrified throughout the entire film, but it's so good that I found it fascinating.
It's absolutely worth seeing in theaters. I'll be thinking about this film for days to come. Will it be the best of the year?
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