Obsession is a 2025 American supernatural horror film written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker. The film follows Bear, a music store employee who buys a supernatural toy and wishes for his childhood friend Nikki to fall in love with him.
๐ญ Plot Summary
Bear buys a “One Wish Willow” toy from a mystic shop and wishes for Nikki to love him more than anyone else. After the wish, Nikki exhibits erratic behavior, including creating a memorial from Bear’s dead cat Sandy and covering the front door with duct tape.
Bear calls customer support and learns the wish will only expire when either he or Nikki dies. Nikki later stabs her own face with a broken bottle at a party and kills Bear’s friend Sarah by slamming her head into a brick.
Bear attempts to reverse the wish but fails. He ultimately swallows oxycodone, and Nikki uses the final One Wish Willow before he can vomit. Bear dies from overdose, and Nikki regains control and wails at the carnage.
๐ฌ Production Details
Curry Barker was inspired to write the film while watching an episode of The Simpsons. In 2023, Barker wrote and directed the horror short film The Chair, which led to producer James Harris reaching out to Barker.
It took over eight months for Barker to complete the screenplay. The film was produced by Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri, and Roman Viaris, with Under the Shell and Capstone Studios as production companies.
Inde Navarrette was cast as Nikki after Barker felt she “nailed” a balance between crazy and scary. Michael Johnston was cast as Bear after a chemistry read with Navarrette. Production designer Vivian Gray remodeled a house in Burbank to serve as Bear’s home.
๐๏ธ Release and Reception
Obsession premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2025. Focus Features acquired distribution rights for over $15 million, with a theatrical release in the United States on May 15, 2026.
On Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 166 critics’ reviews are positive with an average rating of 8.0/10. Metacritic assigned a score of 78 out of 100, indicating “generally favorable” reviews.
๐ Key Facts Table
| Category | Detail | Category | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Curry Barker | Lead Actor | Michael Johnston |
| Lead Actress | Inde Navarrette | Release Date | May 15, 2026 |
| Premiere | Sept 5, 2025 (TIFF) | Distributor | Focus Features |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 95% positive | Metacritic Score | 78/100 |