SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for “Obsession,” now playing in theaters.
Twenty-six year-old director Curry Barker started his filmmaking career by posting short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube and other social media platforms. That led him to shooting an hour-long, twisty horror movie called “Milk & Serial” that put him on the map after he released it for free on YouTube. Now, Barker is bringing his first-ever full-length film to theaters this weekend with “Obsession” from Focus Features.
“Obsession,” which received rave reviews out of the Toronto Film Festival last year, follows a simple premise: a guy wishes for his childhood crush to fall in love with him. However, things quickly take a supernaturally dark turn. Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette star as the main couple, Bear and Nikki, who fall victim to the One Wish Willow, a wish-granting toy with terrifying results. After Bear makes his wish, Nikki becomes unhealthily obsessed with him. She watches him while he sleeps, barricades her door so he can’t leave and threatens to kill herself so he’ll stay with her. In a shockingly gory scene, she kills Bear’s female co-worker by slamming her head into a steering wheel after Nikki grows jealous.
