Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Havarette and Cooper Tomlinson
Directed by: Curry Barker
Rated: R
Running Time: 108 minutes
Focus Features
Our Score. 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Butterflies. It’s that feeling you get when you’re smitten. Maybe you find purpose, meaning, and reason. Maybe you find your partner in crime. Maybe you find your little food critic. Or maybe you find yourself trapped in a psycho-excessive, sleep paralysis nightmare of a toxic relationship that feels more like a 21st-century cautionary tale than hyper-realistic reality.
Well, that’s “Obsession,” a film that’s been stuck in my head like a fresh…well…obsession. Bear (Michael Johnston) is doing a pathetic man’s version of Nathan Fielder’s “The Rehearsal.” He’s practicing pickup lines with a waitress who is clearly hoping the tips outweigh the effort. Bear’s goal is winning over Nikki (Inde Havarrette), whom he believes is his soulmate, even though they’ve only bonded as co-workers and at half-hearted trivia nights with two other co-workers. He apparently thinks he’s collected enough platonic points to cash in for a real relationship.
He’s rehearsing because Nikki decides she needs a change, which means a new job that puts her platonically out of Bear’s range. So he tries to flirt…and it fails spectacularly. Like starting a diet on edibles at Golden Corral. But Bear happens to possess a magic willow wish that is every bit as hokey as it sounds. He picked it up while buying Nikki a small gift at a hippie shop. In a moment of desperation, he snaps it in half and wishes that she loves him more than anything else in the universe. Bear may not realize how big the universe is, or how horrific Nikki’s devotion is about to become.
“Obsession” isn’t breaking much new ground. At its core, it’s an old-fashioned monkey paw story built around the warning to be careful what you wish for. What elevates it are Johnston and Havarrette. Johnston is as pathetic as Bear sounds, writhing in every inch of uncomfortable sweat his character creates. Havarrette, meanwhile, makes Nikki almost supernaturally haunting. She lingers in dark corners watching Bear sleep, her silhouette slithering through rooms like something both wounded and predatory. She is absolutely iconic. As the film builds toward its climax, it keeps teasing that it’s about to go for the jugular, and eventually it does.
The other thing “Obsession” nails is how toxic relationships begin subtly before spinning into emotional violence. Through evolving set pieces, Nikki becomes more manipulative and controlling, while Bear refuses to take responsibility for the chaos he created, choosing emotional regression over growth. The film balances comedy and tension flawlessly, capturing the manic swings of a relationship on fire. One moment Bear seems willing to endure Nikki forever. The next, Nikki seems willing to stay with Bear only if he’s dead and festering.
There’s a reason Curry Barker is already being linked to a remake of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and it’s “Obsession.” This film is wild, vicious, and gripping. It puts you in the front row for the yin and yang of abuse and power. Heavy subject matter aside, it’s a roller coaster of emotions that absolutely kills with a midnight crowd.