I consider myself a hopeless romantic. I’m a serial monogamist, but I also identify heavily with the lyrics of Hozier when he sings, “I fall in love just a little more little bit everyday with someone new”. The all-consuming feeling of intense infatuation with another is intoxicating and is only made worse when kept a secret. That feeling is the foundation of a fantasy that the main character of Obsession gets to explore, to disastrous results.

Michael Johnston plays Bear. A hopeless romantic who thinks himself worthy of love, but without the courage to go after it. The film begins with Bear in a period of mourning, and relying on his friends to get him through the loss of his cat. Bear’s friends include his coworkers, Ian, Sarah, and Nikki Freeman, the girl he’s head over heels for, but he just can’t bring himself to say how he feels.

Thankfully for Bear, he’s a character in a movie, so there’s no need to develop communication skills, or develop a sense of responsibility for his own feelings. Instead, he comes across a One Wish Willow. A seemingly novelty item that when broken, will grant the user one wish. Bear could wish for the ability to fly, world peace, or any number of things, but instead, he wishes that Nikki Freeman loved him more than anyone else in the world. 

At first, Bear is the perfect protagonist for a romance film. Even when the film introduces the magical plot device, Obsession still feels like your run-of-the-mill rom-com that’s designed to teach the main character a lesson in confidence and integrity. Instead, it’s a perversion of that narrative structure, taking its hero into murky territory as the film goes on. 

As the wish takes effect, it’s quickly shown just how much it affects Nikki’s affect. Inde Navarrette introduces her character with a surety of self, but that quickly dissipates once she’s placed under the spell. The film lives up to its title, with Nikki displaying unhealthy attachment, resulting in giant mood swings, jealousy, and taking actions that ought to have sent Bear running for the hills, long before the film gets truly violent. 

All of it is gripping. Especially as the layers of Nikki’s character unfurl. There’s a depth to this performance that is what truly great horror films are made of. It’s a modern day twist on the Bride of Frankenstein, one that will have you frightened, yet sympathetic, as Nikki plays the part of a monster who never asked to be made, and whose motivation is to love her creator without limits. 

It’s infinitely compelling, but the more you look at the screen, the harder it is to watch. Obsession does a great job of using shadows and sound design to create some truly mesmerising and disturbing moments. Even the way Nikki moves is a transfixing nightmare, as she walks backwards, often set to a different frame rate, the film gives a visual to the uncanny valley that Nikki finds herself in.

At just under 2 hours, Obsession is incredibly well-paced. It’s incredibly detailed and densely packed without ever feeling overwhelming. The characters are imperfect, and the actors fearless, with Inde absolutely killing it playing three parts at once. It subverts your ideas of romance and horror, and surprises you at every turn. Obsession begs the question: Would rather be stuck in the woods with a man, a Bear, or this man named Bear?

Rating: Big Screen Watch