When you watch Obsession, it's easy to assume you're in for a classic possession horror. Inde Navarrette's Nikki slinks through shadows, her laughter manic, her eyes wild—but director Curry Barker insists that's not the story. In a candid chat with Collider, Barker breaks down why his debut feature is something far more unsettling: a raw, unflinching look at toxic love and obsession.
Barker reveals that the seed of the idea came long before the One Wish Willow. 'I had this idea for a while about an obsessed person, and just the relationship and how that could go crazy,' he says. 'But it didn't have anything to do with the wish.' The turning point? A random episode of The Simpsons featuring Bart's monkey paw. That sparked the fusion of supernatural wish-making with the dark dynamics of codependency.
The filmmaker was adamant that Nikki's behavior not be mistaken for demonic possession. 'We were very specific…I didn't ever want her to play possessed,' Barker explains. Instead, he and the cast studied films like Ti West's Pearl and Ari Aster's Midsommar to tap into Nikki's desperation and the consuming nature of her feelings. The result is a performance that blurs the line between love and madness.
Central to the story is the One Wish Willow, a cursed object Barker crafted from scratch. 'I looked at wishbones, stuff like that, but nothing really worked, so I just made something up,' he says. The design process was a family affair: Barker and his mother, a graphic designer, went through countless box prototypes—square, big, small, even one that looked like a toothpaste box. 'We worked really hard on that box,' he laughs.
The film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), who makes a throwaway wish on the willow after losing his nerve to confess his feelings to Nikki. The wish backfires, turning her affection into a toxic, deadly obsession. Barker notes that the diner scene where Bear practices his confession was added during reshoots, highlighting the film's focus on the fragility of human connection.
Barker also hints at a larger universe for Obsession, with potential ideas for a series. He shares that cut scenes and lessons from the set will inform his future projects, including the upcoming A24 Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake. For now, the film stands as a haunting exploration of how love can curdle into something far darker than any ghost or demon.
For more on the making of Obsession, including the cast's deep dive into Pearl and Midsommar, check out the full interview. And if you're looking for your next binge, don't miss Your Next Netflix Obsession 'Mating Season' for another take on twisted relationships.
