Obsession ***1/2

I was going to reserve this as an unseen option for my annual Horror Night in October, but since some of my friends already saw it, I thought I’d catch it before it left the theaters.

Obsession takes the trendy toxic codependency premise (Midsommar, Men, Together) and couples it with Fatal Attraction—but, instead of a rabbit, it’s a cat. Add a supernatural contract, spilling gore, and a display of low IQs, and you’re in for a hell of a ride. 

And that’s just it—to enjoy Obsession, you have to fully buy into the absurd plot:

Hopelessly lovestruck by his coworker Nikki (Inde Navarrette with a young Natalie Portman mug), an introverted young man named Bear (Michael Johnston with a young Billy Crudup mug) uses a mystical novelty item called the One Wish Willow to wish that she loved him more than anything else in the world. His desire is granted literally, trapping Nikki’s true self inside her own body while an erratic, inhumane entity does the unimaginable.

This “unimaginable” sets Obsession apart from today’s conveyor belt of horror flicks. Three times I had to watch the screen between my fingers, two times did a patron leave the theater, and four times did everyone gasp out loud together. It is all brilliantly executed, and newcomer filmmaker, Curry Barker (not related to Clive), deserves all the praise. 

But none of this would work without the stunningly diabolical performance by Inde Navarrette, the titular obsessor who throws self-preservation out the window. Such transformations are what the Oscars were made for, but horror is never invited to the party. It’s an annual shame.

Lastly, “absurd plot” may be too harsh. Underneath the gore is a message about unhealthy relationships that lack self-esteem and independence. 

The true villain is human and all the psychological dread that keeps him going.

This is one to see in the theaters before it is too late!