150 Word Review: 'Obsession' (2026)
Nervous rictus
Obsessed, but not at first. I was initially underwhelmed by Obsession’s muddy cinematography and tiptoe pacing. My patience was rewarded, or punished, depending on how you view writer-director Curry Barker’s harrowing meditation on rape culture. Be careful what you wish for, or else.
Michael Johnston should win the Oscar for Best Incel. He plays a mopey weasel wrecked by unrequited love. Inde Navarrette is the object of his affection. She is the villain and the victim. Cursed, abused, smiling. Navarrette does to emotional dysregulation what Psycho did to showers.
Barker mines a generation’s insecurities and fears about dating and sex, power and consent. He borrows from, and subverts, 80s classics like Big and Fatal Attraction. He’s drawn to massive Ari Aster-esque head traumas, too. There are a few offbeat/funny moments, but Obsession isn’t drowning in irony. It is a proud feel-bad movie: there’s an underlying sadness that verges on despair.
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Hi John! This is super interesting, and I agree with some of the things you shared here. I had some reservations about the film after my first watch, but I really do love the social commentary. I actually just posted an essay yesterday about the film and I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts :)) https://whydontyouwantme.substack.com/p/stop-pretending-to-be-a-good-guy?r=1abnbu&utm_medium=ios