Meaning of OBSESSION: An obsession is an uncontrollable, all-consuming preoccupation with a single idea, person, or activity. It happens when a persistent thought or feeling dominates your mind to the point where it becomes difficult to think about anything else.– Cambridge Dictionary
Obsession is a original mvie which is already becoming a classic from new young 26-year-old director and writer Curry Baker, about a young man Bear whose deeply in love with best friend and colleague Nikki. For years he has not had the courage to confess his feelings to her after multiple attempts. He goes to an antique store to get Nikki a gift but then discovers this old toy called one wish willow which grants the owner one ultimate wish. He buys the toy and in an unserious jest makes a wish not thinking in al seriousness it would work, wishes that Nikki would fall in love with him more than anybody in the world. The events that go on to take place are sickening, surreal, unnerving and horrific in the fact that stuff like this does go on in the real world, stalking, love bombing harassment etc… but what separate’s this film from the rest is the emotional grey arears that curry baker and the cast manage expertly to portray with authentically. who grants a wish which goes from ecstasy to to agony and a living nightmare.. The horror genre is going through another boom period and evolution currently.
A SCREAM QUEEN AND STAR IS BORN : INDE NAVARRETTE
Danielle Fabiola “Inde” Navarrette puts in a mesmerising star making performance in this horror breakout Obsession as Nikki whose the unwilling victim of someone’s wish fulfilment for love gone wrong. Inde essentially plays 3 characters in this film, Nikki Freeman before the wish, ‘Freaky’ Nikki who she becomes when possessed by the wish and the Nikki whose soul is basically trapped and tortured, while this supernatural dark force takes over her who through small moments is shown terrified tying to break free from this basic curse. She gives such a nuanced, nerve-wrecking, un-hinged descent from girl next-door to a homicidal like obsession in her psychosis which has dire consequences for everybody involved. Watching it with the audience was an experience as there were gasps of horror, laughter and awkward silence as Nikki’s behaviour becomes unpredictable because a lot of the usual troupes in her performance are avoided giving literally every scene a visceral unpredictability. Her facial expressions are amazing, the variety she showcases makes the audience, bemused, confused and befuddled and at the same time you feel endeared to her. Two horror films come to mind to Stephen King classics, Misery and The Shining. I’ve used the metaphor imagine if the classic 1980’s Tom Hanks ‘BIG’ wish fulfillment film went really wrong? I would be in shock if this film does not gain many award nominations for the cast and crew, the film has made over $100 million worldwide from a original production budget of 750 thousand which is impressive as it’s beautifully shot, with its very earthy warm dark colours.
In a interview with Collider, Curry Baker discussed expanding the One Wish Willow Universe and possibly creating an anthology series. (below)
CURRY BAKER
‘ I was actually thinking about what would be cool is a TV show. Each episode is a different wish, maybe like 10 episodes.’
Obsession Explained & One Wish Willow Origins | Curry Barker Interview
Michael Johnston’s performance as Nikki’s friend Bear who has a longtime obsession and crush on her and ultimately makes this throwaway wish, with the one Wish Willow he buys from an antique shop is excellent, which becomes a reality. He plays the role in such a nuanced way that you have sympathy for him at the beginning but as the storytelling moves forward we begin to see his character slightly unravel and his moral compass is shown to be crossing the line at times in the context of the whole situation, which gives him a darker tone. His friend Ian played with frat boy humour and charisma by Cooper Tomlinson turns out to be not very good friend and untrustworthy, because if he would have been honest with Bear and not lead him on knowing that he had been having a secret affair with Nikki the whole traumatic and tragic events could have been avoided as Ian kept telling him to ask her out, and Sarah another person in the friendship group played with a real earnest and grounded energy by Megan Lawless, whose shown longtime crush on Bear keeps her feelings subtle until it all becomes too late climaxing in a brutal and sad visceral ending…which are the consequences of every characters choice sadly. The victim is tragically Nikki due to circumstances that were not in her control, and her free will have been manipulated without her consent which sets everybody on a path of tragic horror. What stood out was all the characters were very well layered with depth, the house party scene is pretty iconic and creepy involving a Hansel and Gretel reference.
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