Bear (Michael Johnston, Teen Wolf) has been madly in love with his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette, Superman & Lois), whom he’s known for 7 years, but has always been afraid to tell her. What if she doesn’t feel the same way, and then he’d lose her?! Bear’s friend Ian (Cooper Tomlinson, “That’s a Bad Idea,” Milk & Serial) warns Bear not to tell Nikki how he feels, and instead suggests he neg her. He doesn’t want Bear to ruin the friends’ weekly trivia night. Bear, Nikki and Ian all work together at a small music shop, along with friend Sarah (Megan Lawless, The Death That Awaits), whose father Carter (Andy Richter, Conan, Elf) owns the store.

Bear decides he’s going tell Nikki how he feels, and stops by a mystical shop to pick up a crystal necklace to give her as a gift, but he notices something called the One Wish Willow. It is a small branch in a box that one is supposed to break in half after making a wish. The clerk at the shop warns him that each person can only make one wish, and there are no take backs if it doesn’t go quite as planned. She ominously warns Bear that the wish only ends when you die. Bear laughs this off as the ramblings of an over-dramatic store employee.

Later that evening, when dropping off Nikki after trivia, Nikki asks Bear if he has feelings for her. In the pressure of the moment, he chickens out, and denies it. He has instant regret, and decides to use the One Wish Willow, wishing that Nikki would would love him more than anything in the world. Almost immediately, there is this odd change in Nikki’s demeanor, and she asks him inside. Though Nikki can sense she’s acting weird, but can’t help it, and doesn’t know why.

Nikki quickly becomes jealous and obsessed with Bear, always wanting to be by his side, and never wanting him to leave her. Her actions get crazier and border on psychotic (sometimes even crossing that line). Ian and Sarah don’t really want to be around the new couple—something is obviously wrong with Nikki. Bear also grows concerned. While in some ways he has gotten what he always wanted, but he also feels guilty and responsible. Nikki’s behavior is certainly not normal. He starts to worry that Nikki’s love isn’t really genuine, and deep down she is being forced to love him against her will. As Nikki’s behavior further escalates, he desperately looks for a way to stop this curse before Nikki becomes a danger to herself or others—but it may already be too late.

Obsession was written and directed by Curry Barker (“That’s a Bad Idea,” Milk & Serial). Barker is a great example of this recent trend of filmmakers who have made their mark on platforms like YouTube being given the chance to make their feature film debut, and knocking it out of the park. Obsession far-exceeded any expectations at the box office, remaining in theaters for nearly 2 months, at a time when most films end up on digital just a couple weeks later. While the whole ensemble cast is great, the standout star is easily Inde Navarrette, whose portrayal of Nikki is phenomenal and so creepy. Often during the shooting, she did not let her costars know what she was going to do, so their reactions to Nikki’s crazy speeches and actions are often quite real and authentic. The way Navarrette can give off a cold stare, or contort or move her body in unnatural ways, just adds to the terror of the character. Michael Johnston is also great as this befuddled guy who made this wish and is trying to live with the consequences, trying to ignore what is obviously bizarre and unnatural side effects. While Nikki’s actions can be quite horrifying, his reactions to the situation actually brings a lot of humor.

Obsession gets quite dark and graphic at times, with shocking twists and turns that will both keep you on the edge of your seat, and also jumping out of it. The tension gets ratcheted up throughout the movie, but some of what goes on is so bizarre that it leads to laughs from the audience. Barker has fun playing with horror movie tropes, and subverting what the audience may be expecting. Overall, it quite a fun and satisfying horror movie, and something that feels fresh ad new.

Universal has released Obsession on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. We were sent the Blu-ray release for review, which looks and sounds excellent. The picture is presented in an usual 1.50:1 aspect ratio, and looks clean and clear with a solid level of detail throughout. The sometimes gloomy color palette also helps to set the tone. The audio track provides clear dialogue, but also makes nice use of the full audio spectrum to help give an immersive feel. This is evident right from the start with the sounds of the bar during the pub trivia night filling the room. The release contains some entertaining bonus material, including a 19-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with the cast and crew, as well as a director commentary track.

The Blu-ray release contains just a single Blu-ray disc, packed in a standard HD keepcase, along with a glossy cardboard slipcover, and redemption instructions for an HD digital copy of the film.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:48:39)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / 16×9 1.50:1 Side Matted
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 9/30/2027):

• HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:
Warning: the clips below include some spoilers.

• Obsession Unleashed (19:13)
  The cast and creator talk about the premise of the movie, how the project came about, casting the film, how Inde kept her performance a secret from the rest of the cast to get natural reactions, the use of improv, the storyboard process, overnight shoots, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes and chemistry test footage, and interviews with director/writer/editor Curry Barker, and stars Inde Navarrette (“Nikki”), Michael Johnston (“Bear”), Cooper Tomlinson (“Ian”) & Megan Lawless (“Sarah”).
  
  
  
  
• Feature Commentary with Director/Writer/Editor Curry Barker (1:48:39)
  Director/Writer/Editor Curry Barker provides an interesting and informative commentary throughout the film. He shares lots of behind-the-scenes stories about the production, talks about the cast, some of the changes that were made to the film after hearing feedback from test audiences, and more.

Final Thoughts:

Obsession is fun and fresh horror movie from first time feature director Curry Barker. It features an excellent ensemble cast, and takes viewers on a wild ride filled wit laughs, shocks and surprises, and some gruesome moments. Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and includes some entertaining bonus material. The release comes recommended for any horror fan looking for something new, and fans of the film should appreciate the presentation. For those who wish to check out the movie before a blind buy, it is currently streaming on Peacock as of today.