'Obsession' Sets the Tone for the Future of Gen Z Horror

The following review contains minor spoilers for Obsession (2026).

Curry Barker is most well-known for being one half of the internet comedy duo “that’s a bad idea” alongside Cooper Tomlinson. In 2018, the two began creating short-form content for platforms like TikTok and Instagram while attending the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. Their unique style blends the wry Gen Z humor of relatable scenario commentary with absurd twists.

In 2023, Barker released the short film The Chair on YouTube. The story follows a man who brings home an antique chair from the side of the road which turns out to be possessed. While the narrative of The Chair is much more condensed and ambiguous, the short has an impressive 9.5 million views on YouTube and served as a major stepping stone to Barker’s new feature length horror film, Obsession.

Obsession follows Baron “Bear” Bailey (Michael Johnston), a lonely and timid 20-something who is deeply infatuated with his co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette). He is also dealing with the death of his cat, Sandy, after she accidentally overdosed on oxycodone pills she found in his bathroom medicine cabinet. In an effort to impress Nikki and remedy his grief, Bear visits a hippie boutique to buy her a new crystal necklace. Instead, he comes across a dinky novelty toy called a “One Wish Willow,” a branch-shaped trinket that promises to grant one wish when snapped in half.

After work one day, Nikki accepts a ride home from Bear, and the two share a surprisingly heartfelt conversation about their respective grief. Moved by the possibility of their common ground, Bear breaks the One Wish Willow and wishes that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world. The camera cuts, and Nikki suddenly appears outside her house, staring at Bear through the window of his car.

What makes Obsession so unsettling is that the audience is manipulated almost as much as Bear is. From the start, Nikki’s behavior appears rather ambiguous. Sometimes it seems like she is flirting with him, while other interactions suggest she simply has a flirtatious personality. Regardless, the One Wish Willow means that her behavior becomes extra erratic, though every so often she seems to briefly snap back to normal. She blames her unstable emotional state on her estranged father’s slow death, which gives both Bear and the audience a reason to excuse her actions. The difference is that the audience understands that the wish worked, while Bear remains oblivious.

As Bear and Nikki begin dating, their relationship seems perfect. Bear finally has the romance he’s always dreamed of, and for a while, the two seem genuinely happy together. But Nikki slowly becomes more possessive and dependent on him. She constantly demands Bear’s attention, and although he’s mal-at-ease, he tolerates it because she is everything he ever wanted. From the perspective of their friends Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless), it looks like Bear is taking advantage of Nikki’s emotional instability, and they fail to see that he is also trapped in the situation. Barker constantly plays with this cycle of comfort and fear, which keeps Bear and the audience on edge. 

One of the film’s strongest qualities is its pacing. Barker keeps the story moving quickly without sacrificing any tension. There is always another uncomfortable interaction, disturbing reveal or sudden tonal shift waiting around the corner. The film understands how to hold the audience’s attention without relying too heavily on jump scares. As the film reaches its final act, the tension becomes almost unbearable: Sarah texts Bear asking to meet, and while Bear attempts to leave, a lucid Nikki claims her obsessive persona is asleep and pleads with Bear to kill her.

It has been a long time since I wanted to watch a movie multiple times in theaters, but Obsession pulled me back. Barker fully embraces modern internet culture, Gen Z humor and fast-paced dialogue without making the film feel shallow. There are even blatant satirical references to Google and Chat GPT. The movie constantly stays interesting, which makes it difficult to look away from the screen even during its most uncomfortable scenes.

Barker heavily critiques modern dating culture and the male loneliness epidemic. Bear’s character is clearly an archetype of “the nice guy” who allows people to walk over him in the pursuit of love and affection. Using the classic “be careful what you wish for” trope is a simple yet effective narrative set-up. Barker’s style blends psychological horror with subversive dark comedy in a way that stands out when compared to output from major horror production companies like Blumhouse. There were several moments in the theater where the audience clearly did not know whether to laugh or recoil in fear. 

As someone interested in screenwriting, I especially appreciate how strongly the film commits to provoking a reaction from its audience. Every uncomfortable pause feels carefully designed to keep the audience feeling trapped alongside Bear. The sound design is also incredibly important to the film. Without the atmospheric synth-heavy score by Rock Burwell, many scenes would lose their weight entirely. The film uses sound to guide tension, with louder scenes feeling almost overwhelming at times.

Ultimately, it is Navarrette’s performance that steals the show. She walks a perfect line between charming and unnerving, often switching between the two within seconds. Her expressions are never overtly uncanny, yet she somehow can turn an ordinary smile into something deeply unsettling. I would love to see her take on more horror roles in the future. As for Barker, Obsession proves that he has a groundbreaking creative voice. His strong command of psychological horror and cringe commentary is a compelling indicator of where his career could go next. 

Obsession is currently enjoying a theatrical run with Focus Features. Barker is slated to direct the film Anything but Ghosts, set to release in 2027.

-Sophie