Back at TIFF last year, one of the more under the radar films I kept hearing great buzz about was the Midnight Madness selection Obsession. I didn't know at the time, but this happened to be the sophomore effort from sketch comedy Youtuber turned horror filmmaker Curry Barker, whose debut Milk & Serial was a low-budget but fascinating found footage movie released straight to Youtube. Obsession is a clear step up from his first film, offering not just the best horror film of 2026 thus far, but one of the wildest movies I've seen in some time.
The film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a man in his 20s who happens to have a huge crush on his close friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette). The two work together at a music store, along with Bear's best friend Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and the fourth member of their weekly pub trivia team Sarah (Megan Lawless) who happens to have her own feelings for Bear. Bear confides to Ian how badly he wants to tell Nikki how he feels, but he continues getting in his own way fearing that she won't feel the same way. At a mystic shop he buys a "One Wish Willow" for her, an old novelty toy promising to grant its user one wish. When his latest attempt to open his heart to her fails, he wishes that Nikki would love him more than anyone in the whole world, a wish that quickly becomes more than he bargained for when Nikki becomes obsessed with him.
The premise of this movie honestly could have done all the heavy lifting itself. I think most of us have had at least one person we were infatuated with but didn't do anything about it out of fear for rejection and making things awkward. Obsession takes that age old idea and gives it a "Monkey's Paw" twist that winds up delivering some of the craziest moments of the year. Barker's history as a sketch comedian is on constantly display, as the film balances humour and horror into something that leaves you constantly uncomfortable. The way Johnston portrays the awkwardness of talking to a crush is perfect, coming across as infuriating but in the most relatable way. As a viewer you're thrown into discomfort due to his cringe inducing fumbles with Nikki, only to then wind up even more uncomfortable after he makes the wish.
A large reason this works so well is Navarrette's performance as Nikki. When we first meet her she plays the cool friend perfectly, making it clear immediately why Bear would have a crush on her. After he makes the wish her performance feels just a bit off, not outwardly insane like she gets later in the movie, but just different enough from how we've seen her to indicate that something has changed within her. It's such a subtle difference in character but in contrast to the version of her we know it makes everything feel instantly strange. As the film goes on her performance gets more and more unhinged, bouncing from intense screaming to puppy eyed sweetness like the flick of a switch. It's a truly remarkable performance in how well she manages to get under your skin while also leaving nuggets to remind you why Bear fell for her in the first place. The bewildered confusion that Johnston brings opposite Navarrette only heightens an already wild performance that truly may be the best we've seen in the genre in recent memory.
Aiding Navarrette's amazing performance is consistently savvy filmmaking and cinematography from Taylor Clemons. The lighting throughout is fantastic, but there are several moments where Navarrette is placed just on the edge of shadows that make her feel almost monstrous. The camera will sit on her but just enough of her face is hidden to leave you unable to see her expressions. One scene in particular has her standing in front of Bear's house shrouded in shadows, only for her eyes to be illuminated for a few moments in an effect that almost feels vampiric. The music is also pretty much perfect, aiding to the balance of fun and discomfort brilliantly. Being a wild horror movie, I also naturally have to commend the kills and the makeup effects that went into them, this is an at times wildly gory watch and everything looks fantastic on that front.
This is the kind of film that really feels like everyone involved is putting their best foot forward. Even though the film isn't focused on them, Tomlinson and Lawless are big cogs in the story and the movie wouldn't be nearly the same without them. Lawless in particular brings a steadying presence to the film only to be part of genuinely one of the craziest moments I've seen in any movie. Barker's sophomore effort is funny, uncomfortable, kinda romantic, and at times horrifying, all culminating in a finished product that had me truly hooked from start to finish. 4.5/5, a high recommend.
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