Obsession ~ Review

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Note: The following contains spoilers. I strongly suggest you go into Curry Barker’s Obsession knowing as little as possible (as I did). But I can’t really dig into the movie without spoiling the plot. So, go see the movie, and this review will be waiting for you when you get back.
 
In 2007, AV Club film critic Nathan Rabin, while reviewing the film Elizabethtown, coined the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG). Rabin criticized Kirsten Dunst’s character as someone who “exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures." In the years following that review, the term has entered the public conversation and been explored in exhaustive detail in films, movies, music, and endless online discussion threads. In fact, Rabin himself has since regretted coming up with it and apologized for it.
 
However, in the years since the term was named, I can’t think of a movie that has explored the trope through a horror lens. Because if you think about it, with just a little push, the MPDG trope can go from being cute and endearing to absolutely horrifying. Curry Barker posits that the character traits of an MPDG aren’t naturally occurring and, furthermore, are placed on women by external forces.
 
Bear (Michael Johnston) is an awkward, introverted young man in his early twenties. Spending his time working at a music store with his high school friends, Ian (Cooper Tomlinson), Sarah (Megan Lawless), and Nikki (Inde Navarrette). When not working, he’s going to trivia night at a local bar with them or talking on the phone with Nikki. And the other thing that occupies Bear’s time is nursing his long-term crush on Nikki. See, the thing is, he just can’t bring up the courage to tell her how he feels. He says he doesn’t want to screw up their friendship, but deep down, Bear knows Nikki does not feel the same way.
 
So, when Bear wanders into a mystic shop to get Nikki a crystal necklace, he ends up buying a retro novelty toy called a “One Wish Willow,” ignoring the bizarre warnings on the box and from the store clerk. He buys it, and in a fit of frustration, he says, “I wish Nikki would love me more than anyone in the world.” Bear, be careful what you wish for because you might not like it when that monkey’s paw eventually curls.
 
Obsession is great. Barker’s script starts like a cousin to High Fidelity or the aforementioned Elizabethtown, about an awkward young man finding love and connection. However, the film then migrates into a Twilight Zone or Tales From the Crypt vibe, where the supernatural elements mix with the mundane. Barker’s script is thoughtful and funny when it needs to, but effortlessly pivots into the truly terrifying world.
 
Another aspect of the script I want to shout out is its world-building. While the supernatural elements of Obsession are not a major part of the story, there is one moment where Bear calls the number on the back of the One Wish Willow box. The ensuing scene where Bear talks to the complaints department about the wishing toy is one of the funniest moments of the year. It’s moments like that which elevate the script to something special.
 
Barker’s direction here is extremely precise, choosing to shoot the film with center framing to keep the viewer off kilter. He also obscures Nikki’s face in extremely harsh shadows at some moments, making it so your brain cannot parse her expressions or emotions. Based on his work here, Barker is definitely a talent to watch, and it’s not surprising that he’s been tapped to take on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise.
 
As an awkward guy myself, I can say with certainty that Michael Johnston’s performance as Bear is pitch-perfect. Bear is a guy who can barely get out of his own way, and I cringed my way through his performance with a knowing laugh. Even as he shifts into more villainous territory, you still feel sympathy for Bear based on Johnston’s performance.
 
Navarette, however, is the real discovery here. In the early scenes, she imbues Nikki with an earnest sweetness so easily, and you really understand why Bear is in love with her. Once the wish is made, she cranks up the MPDG energy to 11, which starts as sweet and endearing (if a little weird) but quickly turns to terrifying. Navarette can be sad, funny, and scary all in one scene. Her work here puts her alongside the current class of modern horror actresses, alongside Maika Monroe, Samara Weaving, and Sophie Thatcher.
 
Obsession is a hilarious and terrifying deconstruction of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. The film posits that the whole idea of the MPDG is detrimental as an ideal and even worse to have it forced on you. See it in a theater with a crowd.
 
Three and a half out of Four Stars