Sales of novelty store items might take a hit if enough people see “Obsession,” especially for objects that claim to help buyers materialize a seemingly implausible aspiration.
In writer-director Curry Barker’s first feature, one such purchase unleashes pathological codependency as the source of the gruesome horror that’s about to befall its protagonist and those around him. Manipulation (including self-harm) and other disturbing tactics an abuser might deploy to maintain control over another person take on a supernatural form.
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Unfolding mostly inside a dark apartment, the amusingly twisted “Obsession” tracks the psychological degradation that Bear (Michael Johnston), an insecure young man, undergoes as his dream of a romantic relationship with co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette) decomposes into an unbearable nightmare. Nervous about telling Nikki that he harbors more than platonic feelings for her (she has already tacitly friend-zoned him), Bear purchases what he thinks will be a fun gag gift to break the ice on a night out with friends.
“One Wish Willow,” obtained from a metaphysical store, is a brightly packaged, seemingly harmless piece of wood that promises to grant the buyer a single wish when broken in half.
As soon as Bear verbalizes that he wants Nikki to love him more than any other person in the world, she transforms into an adoring, monstrously clingy girlfriend and moves in with him. From then on, terror and bewilderment will live on Johnston’s face. In a visceral breakthrough role, the actor initially captures an endearingly sweet awkwardness that makes him appear younger than he is. Bear comes across as well-meaning, if lacking confidence. Early scenes show him sobbing over a pet’s death. Up to the bitter end, when a bloodied and despondent Johnston stares into a not-so-metaphorical abyss, his portrait of juvenile masculinity offers interesting shades of emotion that stick with the viewer.
To its benefit, “Obsession” doesn’t play out as an investigation into the mechanics of this otherworldly wish-granting scheme. Bear makes one attempt to figure out how it works, but beyond that, the film moves forward on the assumption that the “One Wish Willow” powers are real and irreversible (unless the wisher dies). Barker’s decision to take this route results in a narrative that concentrates on Nikki’s deranged escalations to keep Bear by his side, quite literally by any means necessary. Just for confirmation, Barker includes another wish that comes true, eradicating any doubt that what’s happened to Nikki could somehow not be related to the wish Bear made. That second example is also more in line with what plenty of people would request if given the chance to ask for anything.
“Obsession” derives many of its scares from thematic relevant situations where Nikki raises her voice to an ear-piercing pitch when Bear questions her behavior. She often appears hidden in the darkness; her silhouette stands in the middle of the room, staring at Bear menacingly. Navarrete’s timing when flipping the switch from diabolical screams as Nikki demands Bear reciprocate her devotion to an apologetic tone, trying to reel him back in, keeps the audience in a constant state of fear, much like Bear feels walking on eggshells. The more gruesomely violent her outbursts become, the less her efforts to infantilize herself work. This isn’t the real Nikki, of course, but a version whose personality has been exchanged for someone who exists for the sole purpose of being with Bear—at virtually all times.
Through the increasingly ghastly parade of grotesqueries, Barker sharply comments on poisonous relationships. Yes, Nikki’s actions are heightened for horror shock, but not entirely detached from believability. And yet, “Obsession” is also consistently funny. The humor rises from the absurdity of Nikki’s “acts of love” and Bear’s reactions. The effectiveness of the tonal shifts hinges on Navarrette’s over-the-top performance. The way her face contorts when going from a pout to a vicious berating or how she laughs maniacally before delivering a bizarre monologue conveys a paranormal instability. It’s a two-hander that positions each of the two main actors to flaunt their range.
Barker doesn’t make the mistake of painting Bear as a blameless victim of the unexplainable circumstances. Sure, who would imagine that a cheap item from a local shop could actually deliver on its claims? But even once he realizes that Nikki’s infatuation is not organic, Bear still enjoys having access to her body and the boost in social currency he thinks the relationship gives him. On multiple occasions, people around him express shock that Nikki is dating him. And whether their surprise comes from how sudden her interest in Bear emerged or because they don’t believe she would date someone like him, Bear’s ego is compromised. That’s the root of it all.
Bear’s inability to brave the chance of rejection sets in motion the madness, and then keeps it going even as it all spirals out of control. Even when he gets proof that the Nikki living with him is not the one he once knew, his first thought is to question why the real Nikki wouldn’t want to be with him. That begs the question, who is actually obsessed with whom here? [B+/A-]
