We’ve all been there before. At some point, perhaps in school or at work, we’ve had a crush on someone else—and that most dreaded spectre of unrequited love has gone on to haunt our every waking step.
When your feelings aren’t reciprocated, there’s really no other way to put it: it sucks. But what if we could do something about it? What if we could reverse-engineer the grand machinations of fate—and actually end up with the guy or girl of our dreams? Wouldn’t that just be swell? On this, the newest horror movie hit of the year, Obsession, from YouTuber-turned-director Curry Barker, has one thing to say: be careful what you wish for. Not all loves are made equal, and the ones that aren’t can throw a cruel, gut-wrenching sucker punch you might never recover from.
On its surface, Obsession is an easy-riding vehicle for the many heady tropes of young romance. It’s hard not to feel for the film’s protagonist, Bear, played by Michael Johnston. He’s a bit aimless, but well-meaning, and Johnston dials in that golden retriever energy impeccably. Unfortunately, Bear is hopelessly in love with his co-worker, Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette (your effortless, cool-girl-next-door). After encountering a mysterious artefact in a pawn shop, tucked surreptitiously alongside various and sundry occult paraphernalia, he uses it to make a wish: for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world.
The wish comes true. Nikki falls in love with him. But that love turns out to be a double-edged sword—and rest assured, there will be blood. What starts out as a slowly flickering candle flame of affection eventually roars into an inferno of pure, unbridled chaos. Cue the obsession. Without spoiling too much, some much-deserved flowers are due.
Obsession has had months to bake in the proverbial cultural oven of discourse, following its premier at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival last September. And the people have had plenty of time to build up hype. Buzz around the movie has grown to deafening heights; produced with a humble budget, yet bearing the makings of a resounding box office success.
The wait was well worth it. Obsession is not your ordinary horror flick, despite what the premise might have you think. The special sauce responsible for this film’s critical and commercial success is the mad genius behind the film: writer, director and editor Curry Barker. And no one else could make Obsession what it is other than Barker himself.
When I wasn’t sitting on the edge of my seat in suspense, I was snorting in that unique, deeply felt way only a good internet meme can be responsible for. It makes sense: Barker and his creative partner, Cooper Tomlinson (who also stars in the film), have been producing zany, cringe-inducing, downright hilarious comedy sketches on their YouTube channel, ‘that’s a bad idea’, for the last nine years.
While the channel’s whopping number of subscribers have long been clued into Barker’s comedic sensibilities, audiences around the world are now able to reap the benefits of his genius on the silver screen. In truth, we should all be thankful: it’s apparent that Barker’s time spent at the peak of cringe mountain has made him an enlightened individual.
Much of the film feels inspired by the spirit of their funniest sketches, in the best way possible. The script is a tightly paced, delightful package of off-kilter humour, as relatable as it is awkward. Heaven knows some of the scenes must have been hard for the actors to get through without laughing. But the rabbit hole of Barker’s technical expertise goes much, much deeper than just the dialogue.
The film’s 3:2 aspect ratio supercharges your focus on the characters, amplified by the camera’s shallow depth of field. The score and sound design are the consummate background actor, coming to the fore every now and then to inject just the right amount of jarring dissonance to accompany the growing horror of Nikki’s twisted love. And oh, that horror.
Barker’s dance between the genuinely terrifying and the strangely mundane is riveting. One moment, the dread festers beneath the surface, positively oozing with delicious glee. You know something’s up, but you’re not quite sure what to expect, thanks in large part to the unnerving presence of the supernatural that constantly lurks in the film’s thematic periphery.
In the smallest span of time between a blink and a cautious chuckle, the next moment of drama or narrative twist sweeps you off your feet (don’t worry, there aren’t too many jump scares here, but the few that do exist hit like a veritable truck). The emotional whiplash is real. On this front, the Oscar goes to Navarrette. The 25-year-old’s performance is magnetic—creepy, yet utterly charismatic.
At the end of all of this, if you’re thinking: really, a comedy YouTuber? What’s he doing in the big leagues? Let me put your worries to rest by calling witness Jordan Peele to the stand. Remember Key & Peele? This genre pivot isn’t an easy one, but it has been done before with great results. Thankfully, Barker’s theatrical debut is one such success—his directorial eye is a testament to why the line between comedy and horror is better off blurred. In fact, ready or not, a revival of young horror phenoms is taking place and they’re not pulling any punches. Just look at Barker’s peer, 20-year-old Kane Parsons, whose film Backrooms is now A24’s highest-grossing film to-date.
The next generation seems to be onto something. Maybe it’s all the social media they can’t help but ingest; maybe it’s the crunch and churn of a post-COVID world. Either way, it’s clear that the absurdism of reality in the 2020s has helped the young seeds of creative genius take root and flourish. If the success of Barker’s Obsession is any indicator, I say let them cook.
Obsession is now playing at Filmhouse. Get tickets here.
