The leadup to Obsession
About a week ago, I went to see Obsession. For the unaware, it's an indie horror flick the internet's fallen in love with this year, about a man who makes a wish a woman would love him more than anything else in the world, and how that goes wrong in classic supernatural fashion. All my film nerd friends loved it, I'd been seeing various threads about it online, and I'd read the odd article about its success.
For the longest time, I put off going to the cinema because none of the screening times really worked for me. It's rated 18 here in the UK, which wasn't an issue for me, obviously, but it being a horror was probably why all the screenings were at 10pm at the earliest. I wasn't in the mood to get back home rather late, so I kept putting it off, right until last week.
I'd managed to get a ticket for £4 with a 3pm screening. I was proper pleased by this - cinemas aren't exactly the cheapest, in fact it turned out I only managed to snag a ticket this cheap because it aligned with National Cinema Weekend. Furthermore, Obsession had already been out for months, so the fact I could even watch it that day felt even more fortunate. Most films by now would have already finished their theatrical run, though I suppose Obsession has been far more successful than most films. I'd managed to strike it lucky in three different ways!
I got there on time with my shop-bought popcorn and wandered into the screen. To get inside, I first needed to input a PIN, given to me by a cinema worker. I've never seen this before, in fact I'm curious as to whether most cinemas have screens like this, with an additional layer of security. It's not like I was going to watch a snuff film or something.
Regardless, I made my way to my seat, endured half an hour of tedious ads and unappealing trailers, and the film started. I was feeling rather nervous over what the film was going to be like, how horrifying it was going to be.
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| At the screen, early |
My thoughts on Obsession
Everything I've said so far has probably made you believe Obsession is packed with sex and violence, the kind that would prompt a disproportionate moral outcry. In reality, I doubt the PIN was necessary, it was terrifically tame for a horror. There's maybe one truly violent scene, but the rest makes you feel more uneasy than anything. You never truly feel comfortable throughout, as you sit there, squirming in your seat as the music swells and the scenes cut abruptly.
It's more psychological horror, I suppose. The main protagonist is Bear, played by Michael Johnston. He's a socially awkward outcast who's in love with Nikki, played by Inde Navarette, but can't confess his feelings for her. That leads to his wish, which ends up possessing Nikki to the point of complete submission to Bear. The horror comes more from witnessing Nikki's newfound instability, as she jumps between threatening insanity and volatile longing, with the odd lucid thoughts from the real Nikki. The latter is probably the most unsettling part of her character, really - knowing the real Nikki's never truly missing, she's just lurking inside a body she can't control anymore. Navarette's absolutely fantastic at acting out these violent mood swings, making Nikki both sympathetic and terrifying.
I'm also well aware loads of the discussion surrounding Obsession has centred on Bear's actions and their morality. After all, wishing for someone to love them more than anything else is frankly selfish, and many of his actions are deep-rooted in self-loathing and his...obsession. Bear himself isn't the most compelling character, admittedly, but Johnston still puts in a decent emotional performance which comes on full display in the last act.
Most importantly, though, the film was especially gripping to watch, even as it comes in at nearly two hours long. The pacing and editing was fantastic, and made for a thrilling experience, one I absolutely adored.
Epilogue
I am also aware of the irony of reviewing a film that's bound to be out of cinemas anytime soon. I'm sure Obsession could still be screening somewhere, though - it's worth checking out. If there's anything I want to take away from this experience, it's just how lucky I ended up being. The alternative would be watching the film on streaming, which would have been both less fulfilling than seeing it in the cinema, as well as being more costly.
I do highly recommend Obsession, if only for you to understand what half the internet is talking about. It's made me more interested in horror, too, which can never be a bad thing. I'm slowly enjoying watching films more as well, which can only be a bonus.
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