Obsession is a new film written and directed by Curry Barker, an independent horror filmmaker and half of the YouTube sketch comedy channel “That’s a Bad Idea” with Cooper Tomlinson. In 2025, Barker debuted Obsession at the Toronto Film Festival and it was loved by Focus Features, which picked it up and debuted it in theaters this past May. 

In Obsession, a supernatural and psychological thriller, we follow Baron “Bear” Bailey (Michael Johnston) and Nikki Freeman (Inde Naverrette), best friends that care for each other closely, but while Nikki sees Bear as just a friend, Bear has been pining for her for a long time, never mustering up the courage to confess. In a desperate move after stumbling into an occult shop, he buys and wishes on a One Wish Willow, a piece of wood you snap after saying your wish for it to come true. Thought to be just another scam like the healing crystals or charms in the shop, Bear recklessly invokes this very real magic and pays the price of wishing for love.

Following the wish, Nikki changes, becoming suddenly and strangely obsessed with Bear, her overt love weirds out the other members of their friend group: Ian (Cooper Tomlinson), a typical party guy who knew Bear was pining for Nikki and tried to get them together, and Sarah (Megan Lawless), a woman applying for art colleges trying to break out of their simple life, who may be harboring feelings of her own. The four of them are coworkers at Sarah’s father’s music store, they often go out to parties or bars together, so this sudden change spreads out and disturbs the whole group. 

As Bear faces the disturbing levels of Nikki’s obsession with him, trying to measure the legitimacy of her newfound love for him, he himself grapples with wanting to free her from this twisted obsession or wondering if he can live with it to be with the woman he loves. 

The film is incredibly well-directed; Barker manages a constant feeling of unsettling intensity that balances gradual buildup and sudden snaps of tension pulling you into the moment. Excellent use of lighting turns simple silhouettes in shadow into the main creepy visual. This is also aided by the amazing acting of the leads. Michael Johnston manages an overall very anxious, desperate and pitiful energy that makes his pining loner presence feel isolated in the film. Inde Naverrette also makes the other half of this movie with her stellar creepy performance, and the great manipulation of just her face, body language and voice to pull off terrifyingly intense emotional moments that make for a perfectly possessed performance. 

Obsession tackles ideas of consent, romantic entitlement and the lengths one goes to obtain and control a relationship. I really enjoyed it, feeling the intensity in every scene and loving the direction and performances involved. I’m not usually a big horror fan, but this hits the mark of more thriller or suspenseful for me that I prefer. It has some graphic content, but in terms of gore, it’s a step below a slasher. Additionally, I loved the twisted story and message that had me asking a lot of questions throughout and enjoying the tug of war between questioning Bear and seeing him struggle. This movie is definitely a must-see whether you’re a big horror fan or more casual, also worth supporting this truly impressive release for a young indie filmmaker.

Obsession is still in theaters, in case you missed it.