Over the past year, there’s been a new film on the festival circuit getting a ton of buzz. That film is Obsession, written and directed by Curry Barker (Milk & Serial), and audiences at Overlook Film Festival 2026 finally got the chance to see it on the big screen. A young man makes a wish on a “One Wish Willow” for one of his best friends to be madly in love with him. When she suddenly expresses feelings for him, what begins as a dream come true morphs into his worst nightmare.

Since Obsession first hit the festival circuit, it has been impossible to ignore all the praise. If you’re at all worried the film has been overhyped, I can assure you with certainty this film not only lives up to the hype, but it might even exceed it. The film introduces audiences to Bear, a seemingly sweet guy who is rather reserved and awkward. He also happens to be in love with one of his best friends, Nikki. When he chokes during his chance to admit his feelings, he instead makes a wish on a “One Wish Willow” be bought at a metaphysical shop, wishing Nikki would be in love with him. While Bear doesn’t believe in the wish at first, he soon realizes its power when Nikki suddenly professes her love for him. At first, it seems like Bear is finally getting everything he’s ever wanted. Yet Nikki’s behavior becomes increasingly bizarre, frightening, and even dangerous. It’s a fantastic, disturbing story that shows how even the “nice guys” are incapable of taking rejection, whil also delivering a classic “be careful what you wish for” tale. Bear ignores every warning sign because he has the girl of his dreams, even if it means the woman next to him is a hollow shell of the person he supposedly fell in love with. No matter how wild things get, he makes excuse after excuse, constantly putting his own desires ahead of what’s best for Nikki. The premise also has some unsettling implications when one considers Nikki’s actions throughout the course of her relationship with Bear are thanks to a wish rather than her own free will.

On the surface, Obsession is a horror film because of how it depicts modern men and relationships. Even as Nikki becomes a completely different person, Bear is still happy because he has what he has always wanted. It shows that Bear was in love with the idea of Nikki and what a relationship with her would look like rather than actually caring about her as a human being. Obsession takes this even further by adding absolutely terrifying supernatural horrors on top of the more realistic relationship horrors. Barker builds on the terror, weaving in subtle scares and ambiance before shifting into outright disturbing happenings and jump scares. But don’t let the term “jump scares” deter you. The difference between these scares compared to other horror films is that these scares feel earned. They’re the kind of horrific moments that will likely have audiences jumping out of their seat whether it’s their first viewing or their tenth. It ensures Obsession will be as frightening to watch years later as it was the first time.

Audiences will be absolutely blown away by the astounding performances of Obsession. Michael Johnston (Teen Wolf, Endangered Species) stars as Bear. Johnston portrays this character as rather socially awkward. Bear only has a couple of close friends, which makes it easy to see why he would attach his feelings to the pretty woman in the friend group who was always nice to him. What makes Johnston’s performance as Bear so compelling is how, at first, one might empathize with this kind of pathetic guy pining over a girl way out of his league. Then, as the plot progresses, Bear’s constant dismissal of the strange happenings and red flags around Nikki’s behavior show this is a man who only cares about his own desires. The real standout of Obsession is Inde Navarrette (Superman & Lois, 13 Reasons Why) as Nikki. Navarrette delivers a career-defining performance in this role. At first, Nikki is the epitome of a cool girl. Once the wish has been granted, her entire personality changes. Navarrette shows these changes in subtle and more obvious ways such as her cadence, her voice, and even her physicality. Her vocal work throughout this film is astounding and the way she is able to code-switch at the drop of a hat is both stunning and terrifying. Even the chemistry between Johnston and Navarrette changes depending on which version of Nikki is on screen, making for some of the most impressive character work I’ve seen in ages.

Every detail of Obsession, no matter how small, was clearly meticulously thought out. This includes the visual elements as well as the sound. Visually, the film’s style has a lot of contrast and utilizes warm light as well as cooler blue light depending on the scene. It allows for the filmmaker to play with light and shadows to not only bring breathtaking scenes to life, but to also deliver plenty of effective scares. Most of these scares are thanks to Navarrette’s performance, especially her voice work and her phenomenal physical performance, but the lighting and camera work help to add to the terror. The sound design also lends to the constant sense of unease and fear. There are many moments in which the volume goes from a whisper to a scream, causing audiences to leap out of their seats. Obsession also features a great musical score composed by Rock Burwell. This score fluctuates between being dreamy and haunting depending on the scene, adding to the anxiety and frights. If you’re a horror fan who appreciates gore in their horror films, then don’t worry. While it’s used more sparingly, there are moments of grotesque, well-crafted, and horrifying practical effects that will undoubtedly be seared into the brains of audiences everywhere.

Obsession is a masterclass in anxiety, delivering a terrifying tale with scares that will stand the test of time. This might only be Barker’s sophomore feature film, but it’s clear he is going to be a force of nature in the horror genre. He’s able to craft a compelling story with current social relevance that’s also just downright frightening to watch. It’s a perfect balance of plot and scares. What’s even more impressive are the absolutely breathtaking performances from both Navarrette and Johnston. Their performances will stick with audiences, as will the visuals which are haunting and shocking in turn. This is a film that demands to be seen in a theater where audiences can laugh, gasp, and scream together. You can witness Obsession exclusively in theaters beginning Friday, May15th.

OVERALL RATING: 9.5/10