In one sentence: A shy young man uses a mysterious wishing toy to make the woman he loves fall for him, only to unleash an obsession far more terrifying than he ever imagined.

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Have you ever wished the person you liked felt the same way about you? In an age of love bombing and blurred relationship boundaries, Obsession takes this idea to its darkest possible extreme in a psychological horror that turns desire into something deeply unsettling.

The film follows shy and awkward Bear (Michael Johnston), a young man hopelessly infatuated with his colleague Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Encouraged by his friend Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) to keep things casual, Bear instead finds himself consumed by his feelings for her. After discovering his cat has died from accidentally ingesting his late grandmother’s medication, Bear still chooses to meet Nikki and their friends for trivia that evening, highlighting just how much influence she already has over him. When Nikki casually mentions she has lost her crystal necklace, Bear attempts to replace it and instead comes across the ‘One Wish Willow’, a mysterious toy from the 1960s said to grant wishes. Ignoring casual warnings from the cashier, Bear eventually uses the wish himself, asking that Nikki love him more than anyone else in the world. The wish works, but not in the way he expects, transforming Nikki’s affection into something consuming, terrifying and impossible to control.

The film’s greatest strength is undoubtedly its acting. Inde Navarrette delivers a genuinely unnerving performance as Nikki, balancing traces of the person she once was with increasingly disturbing behaviour as the obsession takes hold. There is something deeply uncomfortable about the flashes of awareness and horror she seems to experience beneath the surface, making the transformation feel tragic as well as frightening. It is an intense role and Navarrette fully commits to it, creating a constant sense of dread. Michael Johnston is also strong as Bear, effectively portraying both the loneliness that drives his actions and the panic that follows once he realises the consequences of what he has done. His performance captures the uncomfortable moral conflict at the centre of the film. Bear has spent so long wanting Nikki to love him that part of him struggles to let go of the fantasy, even as it becomes increasingly horrifying. Johnston’s expressive performance grounds the film emotionally and keeps Bear from becoming entirely dislikeable despite his choices.

The tension builds extremely well throughout. The film fully embraces the idea of being careful what you wish for, making it clear early on that the wish cannot be undone. As Nikki’s behaviour becomes more erratic and extreme, the sense of inevitability grows alongside it. While there are supernatural elements at play, the horror remains rooted primarily in behaviour and psychology rather than mythology, which helps the film feel more immediate and disturbing. The final act leans heavily into gore, at times more than feels necessary, however, horror fans will likely appreciate its commitment to excess.

Visually, the film makes effective use of shadow and movement. Nikki is often partially obscured during the most disturbing moments, reinforcing the feeling that Bear is no longer interacting with the person he originally cared about. Her increasingly unnatural movements add another layer of discomfort and her behaviour occasionally borders on dark comedy through their sheer extremity. The film’s muted grey palette reflects the draining effect the situation has on Bear, while the score steadily builds a feeling of unease and escalating dread.

Beyond the horror elements, the film also taps into recognisable relationship dynamics and warning signs, albeit in an exaggerated form. It explores themes of control, dependency and unhealthy attachment, showing how dangerous it can become when one person tries to shape another’s feelings to fit their own desires.

Ultimately, Obsession is an effective psychological horror that uses a supernatural premise to explore loneliness, control and toxic desire. Strong performances, particularly from Inde Navarrette, elevate the material and help transform a familiar cautionary concept into something genuinely unsettling. Writer-director Curry Barker has spoken about the possibility of expanding the ‘One Wish Willow’ concept further and it is easy to see how future stories could work, provided they continue to explore the moral consequences and psychological horror tied to each wish.

★★★★ (4/5)