Audiences are loving 2026’s new horror darling, Obsession.
Why?
Because we’ve been starving for good storytelling. Delivering a well-executed, tight story is why Obsession stands out in this sea of mid entertainment.
Written and directed by Curry Barker (no relation to Clive) on a budget of $750k, it earned $17.2 million on its debut weekend, grossing $179 million as of June 6th.
The numbers don’t lie. The movie’s a hit.
Here’s the crazy part:
In recent years, Hollywood has given us a slew of multi-million dollar, made-by-committee, boring-ass flops.
Star Wars went from a money printer to a dying franchise. Each Marvel release is more sanded down and paint-by-numbers than the last. There’s something in the water at Disney killing creative juices.
But it’s not just them.
When was the last time you saw a TV show finale that met your expectations?
Streaming services like Netflix pump out content, axe interesting series (Where’s Mindhunter Season 3?), and care more about catering to viewers watching in the background— or on a second screen—than those of us who want shows and movies with an interesting plot.
90% of media focuses more on sharing a political view and appealing to the lowest common denominator than producing great stories. To be clear, I’m not one of those people who hate politics in their media, even when I disagree with the viewpoint. I love seeing things from another perspective and having my beliefs challenged.
But sacrificing story and plot for the sake of preaching is an artistic sin.
Even moreso when its coming from an inauthentic place, like multi-billion-dollar companies pretending they hate capitalism.
One of the most refreshing things about Obsession is that it doesn’t feel like it’s forcing a message down our throat. Sure, the movie has a message, but it doesn’t feel like cynical pandering or preaching. Obsession focuses on telling a compelling story before all else. It has something most modern entertainment is missing: subtlety.
This post analyses:
- how obsession grabs your attention and keeps it with perfect pacing
- why YouTubers are making better movies than Hollywood studios
- How obsession makes every scene count and delivers a perfect ending
What is Obsession about?
A guy (Bear) wishes his friend and co-worker (Nikki) loved him more than anyone else in the world.
First of all, this is a terrible way to phrase a wish—no way that’s gonna turn out well. And, to nobody’s surprise, it doesn’t.
But we’ve seen this type of story before: love potions, romantic wishes, magic spells.
Often, the trope starts with the manufactured love working out well enough. Then it ramps up—you might say it becomes obsessive. And, depending on the genre, warps into something dangerous.
Obsession handles this differently, I’ll explain exactly how in a bit.
But first:
Why YouTuber and comedians make great horror movies
Comedy and horror grew up in the same house. Both genres are about tension, timing and subverting expectations. And YouTube is all about keeping the viewer watching.
The Phillipou Brothers (Talk To Me, Bring Her Back), Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons) and Kane Parsons (Backrooms) are a few examples of YouTubers and comedians making the crossover.
Why’s this important?
Because mastering comedy and horror means mastering tension and conflict. I’ve been studying storytelling for the past year so I can write better fiction novels. The most important thing I’ve learned is that conflict is the backbone of interesting storytelling while tension and suspense keeps readers turning pages.
Dragging story? Not enough conflict.
Not invested in the plot? Not enough conflict.
Villain is a nothingburger? Not enough conflict.
If you finished a story and felt nothing, guess what?
That’s right. Not. Enough. Conflict.
You get tension when you suspend resolution to a conflict. You get suspense when a conflict’s outcome is uncertain.
Horror shows you a dumbass walking down into a dark basement to investigate a noise. Are the murderous bunnies down there? Suspense. Will the bunnies eat the dumbass? Tension. Dumbass vs bunnies = conflict.
Obsession slaps you in the face with conflict, ramps up the suspense and tension, then never lets up. That’s how it grips you, keeping you entertained from the first scene till the last.
Obsession stuffs conflict and tension in every scene
Here’s what makes obsession different from the typical ‘love magic gone bad’ story:
It shows us the cracks from the start.
When Bear makes his wish, Nikki’s personality changes abruptly. But the important part is that we see her true personality break out. This simple fact gets us on the suspense train.
What’s gonna happen? Will her true personality find a way out? What happens if it does?
And that’s not all:
When her true personality comes through, it’s clear that she doesn’t want this.
This changes the way we perceive the story.
We question the morality of this whole love compulsion thing from the get-go. We’re forced to analyse uncomfortable implications.
Soon after he makes the wish, Bear and Nikki end up kissing, and her true personality breaks through.
She’s confused and horrified.
But he ignores that. He pretends. He lies to himself.
And we’re forced to ask: is this guy a scumbag villain?
It doesn’t end there:
Nikki’s behaviour gets more unhinged as the story progresses. She’s a ticking time bomb set to explode at any moment. Tension hangs over every scene.
The external and internal stakes keep rising.
We ask: How depraved and delusional will Bear become? How dangerous will Nikki become?
This is the best take on this concept that I’ve seen.
Expert Foreshadowing
The beginning of the movie sets up the ending. There’s no useless fluff. No dropped storylines wasting your time. The resolution makes perfect sense.
I'd even go as far to say this is a perfectly plotted story.
Characters make realistic decisions—except in one instance:
At one point in the movie, a character texts someone at 3am to meet up and reveal a secret. That part was unbelievable to me, because it was a perfect example of ‘this meeting coulda been an email’. But maybe I’m the weird one.
Maybe it’s perfectly normal to get out of bed at 3am to meet a friend for a chat.
I can’t relate.
Chekhov’s Gun
I can’t go into detail cos I don’t want to spoil it. But if you’ve seen the movie, you know what I’m talking about. The setup is so smooth and satisfying when you realise it.
The diabolical acting
Everyone acted their asses off in this movie.
Using unknown actors can be a gift or a curse. A gift because they’re cheaper, and you see the character, not the actor, like you would if you cast Brad Pitt.
But it’s a curse because some unknown actors are crap.
Good news is, Obsession’s cast came to WORK. Everyone put on an amazing performance. Inde Navarette, who plays Nikki, turned the creepy up to the max. Her facial expressions, her movements, her speech patterns. She sold it like the rent was due.
Bear, played by Michael Johnston, was the perfect awkward, ‘nice-guy’ type. He evoked both sympathy and disgust.
Most of all, he made the character believable.
Nobody felt over the top. Nobody delivered wooden lines. Everyone played their part and made this story about a wish-granting stick feel real.
Should you watch Obsession (2026)?
Yes, you should watch this movie.
Obsession (2026), is a well-written, expertly-executed movie that respects your time. It’s unsettling, intriguing, and tightly crafted.
Curry Barker is only 26, the young masterful bastard. I’m looking forward to whatever he does next.
With so many disappointing franchises, corporate cash grabs, and terrible TV series endings (look what they did to The Boys) it’s a welcome change to experience a story that masters storytelling and doesn’t bore me for a second.
If you’re tired of overly-milked, bastardised entertainment properties like I am, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this movie.
