Obsession movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Obsession

This indie horror hit theaters in May 2026 and is now available on digital streaming platforms.

RATING: R (for strong bloody violence, grisly images, sexual content, pervasive language, and brief graphic nudity)

LENGTH: 108 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B

Featured Product About This Movie:

“One Wish Willow” on Amazon at https://amzn.to/44Bi8XX 

IN A NUTSHELL:

Directed and written by Curry Barker, Obsession follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a hopeless romantic working at a music store who harbors deep feelings for his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette). In a desperate attempt to win her heart, he purchases and breaks a mysterious supernatural novelty toy called the “One Wish Willow”. While his wish initially comes true, Nikki’s affection quickly mutates into a terrifying, dark, and uncontrollable obsession. The film explores the classic “Monkey’s Paw” trope with a modern, deeply unsettling psychological twist.

Already, the film has had 11 film nominations, winning 7 of them.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

This movie is NOT appropriate for kids.

• Violence & Gore: Features intense bloody violence, grisly images, and a highly disturbing Act 3 involving overdose and violence.

• Profanity: Pervasive strong language throughout the film. Every character in the movie can hardly string two sentences together without F-bombs.

• Sexual Content: Contains explicit sexual content with action in the bed and brief graphic nudity.

• Heavy Themes: Prominently features dark elements such as suicide, mind control, severe toxic relationships, talk of a father with cancer, and the death of a pet.  

• Drugs & Alcohol: These characters are constantly drunk, stoned, or messed up all the time.

THEMES:

• “Be careful what you wish for.”

• Toxic, mind-controlled romance vs. genuine love

• The loss of agency and identity

• Desperation and the extreme consequences of manipulation

• Co-dependency

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THINGS I LIKED:

• The Performances: Michael Johnston perfectly captures the nervous, regretful energy of Bear, while Inde Navarrette delivers an absolutely chilling, star-making performance as she shifts from sweet friend to terrifying stalker. She looks like she was having a blast being a psycho. The rest of the cast includes Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Chloe Breen.

• The Direction: Curry Barker (known for his viral internet shorts and Milk & Serial) uses a tight $1 million budget to create a dark romance with slow-burn tension and claustrophobic dread.

• The Writing: Rejecting overly bloated lore, the script stays lean, focusing purely on the terrifying mechanics of the curse and the psychological destruction of the characters.

• Andy Richter’s Cameo: It was a fun surprise seeing Andy Richter step into a darker, genre-bending role as Carter.

• Soundtrack: We often go from eery silence to screeching sounds and horror music.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• An Extremely Dark Climax: The third act spirals into a profoundly tragic and gruesome sequence that might feel overly mean-spirited or deeply upsetting for some audience members.

• Pacing Leaps: The transition from Nikki’s normal personality to full-blown supernatural fixation happens extremely fast, leaving little room to breathe. The gag grows a little old until it completely spins out of control in Act 3.

FUNNY LINES:

• “It’s just a cheap piece of plastic, Bear. It looks like a middle school art project.” – Ian, mocking the One Wish Willow toy.

• “I’m pretty sure you can’t return a supernatural curse to a crystal shop, man.” – Ian

• “I’m your freaky Nikki.” – Nikki

INTERESTING LINES:

• “Nikki loves you so so so much.” – Nikki

• “Some desires come at a dark, sinister price.” – Narrator / Logline

• “Why don’t  you love me?” – Nikki

• “I wanted you to love me, Nikki. I didn’t want you to stop being you.” – Bear

• “I can’t be Nikki!” – Nikki
• “Kill me, please.” – Nikki

MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

• Talk to Me (2023) – Another phenomenal modern horror hit focused on a supernatural object used by young adults that spirals completely out of control.

• Fatal Attraction (1987) – The ultimate blueprint for romantic obsession turned deadly.

• Wishmaster (1997) or The Monkey’s Paw adaptations – For fans who love seeing wishes granted in the most horrific ways possible.

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Dr. Trina Boice is a university professor, author of 36 books, professional author coach, YouTuber, podcaster, film critic, and mom of 4 awesome sons.