Obsession Movie Review

Obsession (2025)

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Written by: Curry Barker
Directed by: Curry Barker
Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter
Rated: R
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Plot
After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

Verdict
You could simplify this to be careful what you wish for, but it's also more than that. Each scene slowly builds the plot. We know something is wrong, but it goes from unsettling to downright terrifying. Bear is now dating his crush, but soon he regrets that. This is a relationship where one person decides their feelings matter most. Bear forces a woman into a relationship she didn't want. What happens when your dream becomes a nightmare? While Bear regrets the choices he's made, there's no easy out. Since he's the main character, we're inclined to think he's the victim but he started this out of selfishness. I wondered how this would conclude, and it does a fantastic job.
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Review
This opens with Bear (Michael Johnston) sharing his feelings to Sarah (Megan Lawless) in a diner. We realize he's practicing what he wants to say to his crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). He's trying to work up the courage to reveal how he feels to his coworker. His plan is to talk to her at trivia nigh, though his friend Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) warns him not to. He decides to buy her a necklace, but instead buys a "one wish willow."

Bear tries to find a moment to talk to Nikki, but it's trivia night at a bar so interruptions derail every attempt. He stumbles through failed attempts, retreating whenever he's close to telling her. She even puts him on the spot and asks him outright if he likes her. He freezes, stating they're good friends. Distraught that he failed again, he makes a wish with the willow branch that she'll love him more than anybody. Immediately Nikki's demeanor changes.

Inde Navarrette, Michael Johnston play Nikki, Bear

They start dating, but there's an edge to it. She's obsessive. We know it's the wish, though the mechanics of that are unclear. At first she seems mostly normal. Nikki's mood shifts between devotion and mania. Navarette does a great job of oscillating between these moods that become more extreme the longer they date. Each scene is another step into something we don't quite understand. Nikki seems like she's possessed or trapped within her own mind. This wish somehow overrides her personality. The dark size of this is that Bear got his desire at the expense of controlling Nikki and forcing her into this.

While others notice Nikki seems overly engrossed in Bear, even he begins to worry. Nikki snaps between these moments of obsession and a person trying to escape a mental prison. It's unnerving. Bear grows desperate to fix the situation, but you only get one wish as the box states. When he can no longer ignore what's happening, afraid for his own life, he takes action.

Inde Navarrette plays Nikki

The conclusion is wild, but it also manages to deftly reinforce the themes of the movie. There's a sinister underside to this. You could despair what Bear went through, but he caused all of this. He was afraid of rejection and took a shortcut. He didn't regret that until it affected him. Nikki is the one traumatized and forced into a relationship against her will. Bear knew that, but he decided his feelings were more important. What he endures is a situation he selfishly created.