LATE REVIEW: OBSESSION
THE GIST
I have a love for this film that only the branch of a willow tree could conjure!
THE REVIEW
!!!SPOILERS!!!
EXPECTATIONS
I went to Specsavers earlier in the day before seeing it and the lovely lady serving me politely asked what I was doing with my day. When I mentioned I was going to the see Obsession her face lit up. She had seen it and thought it was amazing. She really wanted to tell me more about it but also didn’t want to ruin it for me. This was just another in a long line of signs that this movie was something I needed to see.
I don’t usually see films I missed at the cinema the month they came out but I had to with this one.
When originally scanning through the upcoming films and who directed them I was surprised when I saw the picture of Curry Barker. I subscribe to his YouTube channel and think he is hilarious so I was trying to put 2 and 2 together about how he was making a horror movie.
I watched another film of his, Milk and Serial and thought it was ok. I wouldn’t rave about it but it is obviously a short film where the director is finding his feet. And judging by the amount of short films he has made it is no wonder his debut feature film is as Epic as it is. He has put in the time and effort and honed his craft to perfection.
So I am basically pumped with high expectations going to see this. I have avoided watching too many trailers and reviews to get the most out of it.
As I am writing this and scoffing my face with Eggs Bene in a cafe, the lady at the next table came over and told me I look like Jason Momoa from side on. I mean, I have his girth, just not in a healthy way. She might need to go to Specsavers too 😂
RATINGS SO FAR
Even after a month of being released, the ratings have settled down to an average of 8.7/10.
For any film, that is incredible, for a horror, that is a rarity.
CONTEXT
Curry Barker, one half of the sketch comedy duo that's a bad idea with Cooper Tomlinson, uploaded his short horror film The Chair to his YouTube channel in 2023. After film producer James Harris of Tea Shop Productions reached out to Barker to adapt it into a feature-length film, Barker pitched Obsession instead. Barker initially wrote Obsession as a film about an obsessive relationship. While preparing to watch an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in which he appeared, he caught a rerun of an episode of The Simpsons where Homer interacts with a monkey's paw, which inspired him to incorporate the wish element. The concept led to his signing with William Morris Endeavor and receiving an offer to direct the film with a $1 million budget. Barker took eight months to complete the screenplay while working with the film's production companies, which, in addition to Tea Shop Productions, include Capstone Studios and Under the Shell. Barker developed the design of the One Wish Willow with his mother, a graphic art designer. According to Barker, the final budget was at most $750,000 (from Wikipedia).
THE 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.
THE EXPERIENCE
This was a genuinely disturbing, awkward and unsettling film to watch. But I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
I am going to see it a second time and feel I need to before I finish the review. There is a lot to assess.
I see it again on the 27th June and will be back to finish this.
THE MEAT
The Story:
Director/Curry Barker:
Inde Navarette:
Michael Johnston:
The Supporting Cast:
The Effects:
It’s Believable: Even though there were supernatural elements to this, it wasn’t fantastical. It was working in the background of what I was watching, and what I was watching was mostly real world situations. Barker has a knack for writing and directing believable dialogue, even in his comedy sketches.
It’s Relatable: It’s easy to relate to the characters. Lots of people have been in the situation of Bear, having feelings for a friend but unable to tell them for fear of either ruining the friendship or being rejected, or both. I’m sure in those people’s minds, they wished the other person liked them back in the same way. But if making a wish come true became a reality, one would have to take in the moral responsibility of their actions when doing so. Taking away someone’s free will is monstrous. And to be fair, Bear was initially making an innocent wish he never thought would come true. It was his actions or lack of actions after it came true that were morally reprehensible.
It’s Shocking: The gore and who gets killed, and in what way were shocking. The cat shrine was shocking. The steering wheel scene was shocking. The Sarah shrine was shocking. The shooting of Ian was shocking. Nikki harming herself was shocking. Nikki’s general behaviour was shocking. It shocked me. That is rare these days.
SUMMARY
The hype is real!
And so is my love for this film!
