Curry Barker's debut feature Obsession has been generating buzz since its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and now that it's in theaters, audiences are discovering why. The film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a seemingly harmless co-worker who uses a mystical wish to make his crush Nikki (Inde Navarrette) fall obsessively in love with him. But as the relationship spirals, the line between romantic and terrifying blurs.
In a recent interview with Collider's Perri Nemiroff, the cast—including Johnston, Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, and Megan Lawless—opened up about the film's unsettling dynamics, on-set accidents that made the final cut, and why Bear is one of horror's most fascinating villains.
The Chemistry That Made 'Obsession' Unforgettable
Johnston recalled a moment early in production when he realized the film was something special. "I was looking around at the crew between takes, and I thought, 'I don't think I've ever experienced such a committed team,'" he said. Tomlinson agreed, noting that the chemistry read between Johnston and Navarrette was electric from the start. "You could just tell with them—seeing the freaky parts come to life for the first time—it was magic."
Navarrette herself felt the film's impact most during its TIFF screening. "The way the sound happened and the audience's reaction—it was electrifying," she said. "I knew we had done it."
Bear: The 'Nice Guy' Trope Gets a Dark Twist
One of the film's most compelling elements is its refusal to paint Bear as purely good or evil. Johnston explained that from the start, he and Barker wanted to make Bear likable. "People ask me all the time, 'Are you the good guy or the bad guy?' And I'm like, 'I don't know,'" he said. This ambiguity is what makes the film so unsettling—audiences root for Bear even as his actions become increasingly disturbing.
Navarrette's performance as "Freaky Nikki" is equally layered, shifting from lovestruck to terrifying with unnerving precision. The cast also discussed how on-set accidents, like a broken prop or a stumble, were kept in the final edit because they added to the raw, chaotic energy of the story.
Why 'Obsession' Stands Out in Modern Horror
For fans of horror that challenges expectations, Obsession is a must-watch. It joins a lineage of films that explore the dark side of romantic obsession, much like Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass or the best international horror openings ranked here. The film also nods to classic masked killers, but its true horror lies in the psychological manipulation of a "nice guy" who doesn't see himself as the villain.
As the cast noted, the film's power comes from its refusal to offer easy answers. Bear isn't a monster in a mask—he's the guy next door who just wants to be loved. And that's what makes him truly terrifying.
