Curry Barker’s Obsession: Turning crush culture into nightmare fuel

Obsession is the kind of horror film that crawls under your skin slowly, then suddenly rips it open. Director Curry Barker transforms a simple ‘what if your crush loved you back?’ premise into a grotesque spiral of dependency and control. The film bravely tackles themes such as emotional abuse and feelings of entrapment within intimate relationships.

The film keeps returning to mirrors and cramped interiors, visual reminders that ‘Bear’ (Michael Johnston) is trapped inside his own fantasy. ‘Nicky’ (Inde Navarrette) is framed too close to the camera once the wish takes hold, her face invading the screen with desperate affection that becomes suffocating. Writer-Director Curry Barker does a masterful job at weaponizing intimacy and this is complimented by Navarrette’s acting, which is nothing short of incredible. Of course, this is aided through visual effects, but knowing she made all those noises herself is bone-chilling. We expect the lighting to be dark since it is a horror film after all, but in a dark cinema, only parts of her face are visible, which makes it terrifying. Despite her having a role in Superman and Lois (2021-2024), I felt Obsession truly showcased Navarette’s physical acting, since the inhuman vocalisations added a layer to her performance

Barker, like many filmmakers emerging from YouTube and online content creation, understands the language of internet-era horror

What makes Obsession especially effective is its understanding of modern fear. Barker, like many filmmakers emerging from YouTube and online content creation, understands the language of internet-era horror. This translates to distorted faces, uncanny expressions and the subtle manipulation of familiar images into something unsettling. This is what is described as the ‘uncanny valley,’ the discomfort audiences feel when something appears almost human, but not quite. In an era that is oversaturated with constant digital imagery, that sense of eerie distortion becomes uniquely horrifying. Barker taps into this brilliantly, almost creating a new strain of horror altogether.

I was surprised when Rock Burwell’s score shifted from nostalgic memory to something more sinister. The film’s use of throwback songs initially creates a sense of comfort and familiarity, grounding Bear’s fantasy in the warmth of romance and teenage longing. But Barker cleverly twists these moments, using sentimental tracks against scenes of emotional collapse and body horror. The contrast becomes deeply unsettling and even more so in a movie theatre: the music lulls the audience into safety before the film violently tears that feeling away.

The cruelty of the film’s violence makes Obsession even more surprising as a directorial debut

The brutality of the violence is especially shocking coming from Barker, whose background is largely rooted in comedy content on YouTube. I liked that the film didn’t necessarily focus on stylised or exaggerated gore. The violence in Obsession felt instead painfully physical and intimate. The camera is not shy. Barker understands that horror becomes far more disturbing when it feels unavoidable. The film does not rely on cheap jump scares but it erupts from the characters’ emotional desperation, making every violent moment feel personal. The cruelty of the film’s violence makes Obsession even more surprising as a directorial debut.

Curry Barker proves himself to be far more than a creator transitioning from YouTube into filmmaking. Alongside Inde Navarrette’s fearless performance, the film announces both of them as exciting talents to watch closely in the future. Obsession is still in cinemas now, and for horror fans, it is absolutely worth experiencing on the big screen.

★★★★ ½