Long before Obsession turned a love spell into a nightmare, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was already playing with the same twisted premise—but with a laugh track. In Season 2, Episode 16, "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," Xander (Nicholas Brendon) gets dumped by Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) on Valentine's Day and decides to get even. He blackmails Amy, the teen witch, into casting a love spell on Cordelia, planning to reject her publicly. His goal? "Revenge. Pure as the drive in snow." But as with all magical meddling, the spell backfires spectacularly.
Instead of Cordelia, every woman in Sunnydale—from Buffy to the lunch lady—falls head over heels for Xander. The episode leans into slapstick chaos: women chase him, grope him, and even threaten violence when he turns them down. It's played for laughs, relying on the outdated idea that men always want sex and therefore can't be truly victimized. But nearly three decades later, Obsession—the viral horror hit from Curry Barker—takes that same scenario and strips away the comedy, revealing the terrifying reality.
Two Takes on Unwanted Desire
In Obsession, Nikki (Inde Navarrette) makes a wish that turns her into a possessive, violent partner. There's no magic beyond the initial wish—no vampires, no slayers. Just a regular woman who becomes a textbook abuser: volatile, manipulative, and eventually murderous. She duct-tapes doors, screams when her boyfriend tries to sleep, and guilts him into isolation. The horror is grounded in realism, making it all the more chilling.
Buffy's version, by contrast, is pure fantasy. Xander's biggest threat is a lovesick Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who has to be turned into a rat to keep her from killing him. Willow (Alyson Hannigan) shows up in his bed with an axe, but it's played for awkward giggles. The episode's humor depends on the audience believing Xander is never in real danger—because he's a guy, and guys supposedly always want it. That's a myth Obsession dismantles with brutal efficiency.
Who's to Blame?
Xander is clearly in the wrong. He blackmails a classmate, knowing full well magic is real, and he intends to hurt Cordelia. His guilt is unambiguous. Bear, the protagonist of Obsession, makes a wish on what looks like a novelty trinket, with no reason to believe it'll work. That difference matters. Bear is harder to condemn because he didn't knowingly cast a spell. Yet once the wish takes hold, both men face the consequences of their actions—and their choices diverge.
Xander, despite his initial malice, shows restraint. When Buffy offers herself to him under the spell, he refuses, knowing her feelings aren't genuine. He'd rather risk her wrath than take advantage. Bear, on the other hand, sleeps with Nikki even as he questions her autonomy. He's trapped by fear, but he still goes through with it. That contrast highlights how Buffy ultimately affirms Xander's respect for consent, while Obsession shows how easily that line gets blurred in abusive dynamics.
Why It Still Matters
Both stories explore the horror of being the object of obsession—whether it's played for laughs or screams. Buffy uses comedy to defuse the threat, but Obsession refuses to let us look away. It's a reminder that obsession isn't banal; it's terrifying. And while Buffy remains a beloved classic, Obsession offers a necessary counterpoint, proving that the same premise can be both action-packed and deeply unsettling.
For more on how obsession plays out in other genres, check out this free horror gem that pairs perfectly with Obsession. And if you're in the mood for more action-packed chaos, these off-the-rails action movies deliver.
