I know I’m late to the game on this one, and it’s not because I haven’t wanted to see this film. Health issues have kept me away from the theater, and I’ve only recently been able to watch this. First off, I’m a fan of Curry Barker. I’ve watched several of his shorts, and his film Milk & Serial I’ve seen a few times. I’m not surprised by Barker’s breakout success, though what I am surprised by is how Obsession and Backrooms, films done by content creators, have dominated the box office this year. This very much reminds me of when The Blair Witch Project came out, when this small film made on a shoestring budget took Hollywood and the world by storm, and from there it kicked off the found-footage boom, something we’re still seeing today. Now the big issue I had was needing to push away all the hype surrounding this film and give this film a fair shot; after all, the film is campaigning for best picture and a slew of other nominations as we approach award season. Is the film good, and does its box office revenue warrant this kind of praise?
For those who have missed the film, it is about Bear (Michael Johnston), who has had a crush on his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette) for years, and he is finally wanting to make the move to tell her how he feels about her. These early moments in the film do a lot to help us feel that Bear is sweet and charming, and, well, that we want to root for him to get the girl. A series of circumstances lead Bear to go into a New Age magic shop, and he ends up buying a One Wish Willow, what seems like a gimmick gift that suggests when you make a wish and snap the One Wish Willow your wish will come true. When Bear makes his wish for Nikki to love him more than anyone in the world, he gets more than he bargained for. The shift in her personality is almost immediate, and at first things seem great, that is until her love turns into something a little more than he asked for. Yes, it is relatively a simple setup, but the film places more focus on Bear coming to grips with the consequences of his actions and realizing what loves him isn’t really Nikki, but something else.
One thing I wish had been done differently here is that we don’t get enough time with Bear and Nikki before he makes the wish. We can see that the relationship between Bear and Nikki is a good one, but with how she acts it’s not clear whether she could have feelings for Bear or if it is simply platonic. This bothers me mostly because when we see Nikki make the change, she flat-out acts psychotic, and, well, that’s simply not love … yeah, I know the film is called Obsession for a reason, but this irked me, because we don’t see a progression with her behavior; it just flips instantly. A for-instance: why would she feed someone she loves his dead cat? It makes no sense … at least till I came across this theory someone worked out that Nikki is actually possessed by Bear’s dead cat. I know it sounds like a wild theory, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it started to make. Whether that is what Barker intended or not, I love that this film can provoke that kind of theory that can make rewatching the film a whole new experience.
The film’s greatest strength is with the performances. When you consider the budget and the depth of talent on screen, these performances exceed all expectations. There is no doubt that Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston will have lengthy careers because of this. I get where some will feel that Navarette “overacts” in this performance, and to a degree that’s warranted, but it’s her final scene in the film where it won me over and I was impressed. I’m not going to spoil it, but it’s a moment I guarantee those taking any kind of acting classes will study. What I do feel hurts the film a bit is that it does feel a little longer than it needs to be, and the tone is a bit all over the place. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it takes the film down half a point for me.
I do love the look of the film. This film is loaded with atmosphere, and I appreciate how it keeps things simple. There’s a lot of low light and shadow play here, and it is effective. The restraint from avoiding clever camera tricks or filling this with fast edits definitely sets itself apart from from a lot of films and TV we see these days. Barker is smart and puts his attention on the performances. Even in the brief moments of violence, he’s smart and lets the camera linger rather than cut away.
When you look at the budget and how this was pretty much the first feature for Curry Barker as well as many members of the cast and crew, this is an impressive debut. This film shows that it is impossible to tell what audiences want to see and what they will connect with. I’m still shocked at how much this film made, and I’m happy for all those involved. I’m more than ready to see what Curry Barker does next with his film Anything But Ghosts. and then he is attached to a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre. which could be interesting (though do we really need another?). Now I’m curious about the film’s longevity. Sure, this year it was a hit, but how long will it stick, and will it be considered an iconic film a decade from now? Only time will tell.
