Culture

Now Playing: ‘Obsession’, when romance goes terribly wrong

By: Gordon Briggs
Posted on: Thursday, May 21, 2026

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When I walked into Obsession, I knew nothing about the film. That was probably the best way to watch the movie because it turned out to be a dark, disturbing, and supernatural romance that examines the line between love and toxic codependency.

I’m hesitant to reveal much of the plot. Part of the fun of obsession is going blind. Think of the film as like Fatal Attraction with a Monkey’s Paw-style supernatural twist. Here, we meet a timid music store employee named Bear, who uses a magical novelty item to cast a love spell on his long-time crush and coworker, Nikki. His wish is granted, but he soon discovers that forcing someone to love you comes with frightening and bloody consequences.

Over the course of the story, there will be blood, violence, and bizarre moments of body horror that may make some audiences queasy. However, I enjoyed the way the film blended elements of a horror film with smaller, more relatable elements of a romantic comedy.

Firstly, I enjoyed the two central performances. Even though the movie has supernatural elements, both Inde Navarrette (as Nikki) and Michael Johnston (as Bear) feel grounded. Part of what makes the movie work is that both characters feel like people you might meet in real life.

A different movie would’ve placed its supernatural events front and center, but Obsession begins with the awkward, romcom dynamic of a timid guy pining for a woman he likes. For instance, the movie cleverly gets us on the Bears’ side by having the first act just be him working up the courage to ask Nikki on a date.

By anchoring the story in a very ordinary and relatable experience of asking someone out on a date, the film is able to engage in its characters’ fears and desires before proceeding to exploit them.

Now, a warning: this film’s subject matter may disturb and even upset some viewers just looking for a “fun horror movie”.

When the story is all done, you might feel unclean. However, that might be the point. Obsession takes tropes that in a different story would be romantic and transforms them into something sinister.

Think about how many romances, from fairy tales to rom-coms, make the overcoming of a woman’s will look romantic. When Bear bypasses Nikki’s free will using a magical token, he essentially enslaves her identity to fulfill his own desires.

Naturally, some viewers will be upset by the film, and others will be stimulated by it. My advice is to see obsession and decide for yourself.   ★★★½