Made for $750,000, with a box office now standing at over $300 million, massive critical and fan acclaim, and a horror flick that just kept getting more popular with each passing week as more and more went to see it, Obsession is the most talked-about horror film of the year so far — and we’re guessing probably will be for the rest of 2026.
But now the dust has settled and it finally heads to digital release on June 30th — was the hype worth it?
Damn right it is.
The tale may be nothing new — yet another spin on The Monkey’s Paw, a formula that over the years has seen Big turn Tom Hanks into a grown man overnight and Jennifer Garner from 13 to 30 — but writer-director Curry Barker, who first gained attention through his YouTube comedy sketches alongside Cooper Tomlinson (who also appears here), and his low-budget horror flick Milk & Serial, takes that familiar formula and twists it down a much darker path.
Again, the premise itself isn’t exactly new.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans will remember the episode Something Blue, where Willow makes a few wishes — one in particular turning Xander into a demon magnet — but Barker still manages to make it feel fresh, largely thanks to his two leads: Michael Johnston as Bear and the quite outstanding Inde Navarrette as Nikki, the unfortunate casualty of Bear’s wish.
It’s simple.
Bear loves Nikki — but doesn’t have the courage to tell her. Even when handed the perfect opportunity, he instead breaks in half a One Wish Willow, a strange charm that promises to grant one wish once split.
His wish?
For Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world.
It’s no spoiler to say…the wish works.
Of course, the first few weeks play out like a love story, with Bear embracing his newfound romance, with only the occasional glitch as Nikki briefly snaps out of the spell and asks:
“What the?!”
before tragically slipping straight back into the loving girlfriend clearly being forced against her will.
It’s a dark undercurrent that will raise many conversations once the credits roll — especially around Bear himself — because somehow, against all logic, you’ll be angry at yourself for actually feeling sympathy for him.
And that’s entirely down to Johnston, whose pittiful performance perfectly sells a guy paying the price for such a foolish wish.
But it’s Navarrette who steals the whole show. Her career will no doubt skyrocket after this.
Her Nikki can switch from sweet and loved-up girlfriend to full-blown crazed “bunny boiler” in seconds — to the point that even Fatal Attraction’s Alex might seem tame by comparison with one glorious death scene in particular staying with you long after the credits roll.
Sometimes hype can be too much.
Not here.
Obsession is one fine horror movie — one that’ll have you laughing in one scene and terrified in the next — and with Barker now signed up to unleash The Texas Chainsaw Massacre once more, his future in horror suddenly looks very exciting indeed.
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