OBSESSION

Wr. Curry Barker; Dr. Curry Barker; Prd. Focus Features, Blumhouse.

Without a doubt, Obsession is the most tragic and, must I say, traumatizing film I have ever sat through. For this film, I have an equal share of LOVE and HATE.

The love I have for this film stems from its achievements in turning a very simple premise into a series of storylines that don’t feel forced at all. From a writing perspective, making an entire film about “someone obsessed with someone” and attempting to make it both thrilling and interesting is quite difficult. Before seeing this film, I actually had very little expectation of the horrors the film was going to present to me through this very simple premise. Is the girl just gonna love him to death? Is the girl going to stalk him and be very creepy about it? What will be the stake? How will the film conclude? Needless to say, I underestimated Curry Barker's ability.

I also adored the visual storytelling throughout the film. Through intentional lighting, framing, and cinematography, the film successfully created an unsettling feel that creeps you through the whole runtime. Production quality, though absurdly simple, managed to bring a grandeur and horrifying shock value that high-end films failed to achieve. This is also massively helped by masterful sound design and music.

The cast performances of this film are also a major aspect that makes this film so scary. Inde Navarrette stole the show with her magnificent acting and interpretation of obsessions. If the imageries doesn’t scare you, her acting will. I can’t really say the same for the other cast members, though, especially Michael Johnston. Michael definitely had a very important role in portraying responsive emotions in the film, but I feel like he somewhat fell short of a good completion of the job.

Despite my tremendous love and gratitude towards this film, I do have an equally immense hate towards it. I hate how scary, disgusting, unsettling, and draining this film is. After watching it, I felt extremely exhausted, and I got a headache. This film is on the far end of extreme when it comes to shock and tension. And though it results in an impeccable work of art, it does so while leaving a bitter taste in your mouth.

From a cultural standpoint, I am really liking this new era of modern horror. Horrors, which, to measure their quality, heavily rely on their writing, performance, visions, and most importantly, creativity. I believe that this is a good start to a fresh new generation of filmmakers.

Just like a toxic relationship, I am very much in love and in hatred for this film. Despite all of that, it can’t be denied that this film is a very successful form of art that I can’t help but appreciate. Though I might never touch this film again, ever.

Final ratings:

On Writing

1. story ------- 9/10
2. dialogs ---- 8/10
3. characters - N/A
4. tension ---- 10/10

Total: 9/10

On Production

1. designs ---------- 9/10
2. SFX & music----- 9/10
3. Performance ---- 9.5/10
4. Cinematography 9/10

Total: 9.1/10

On Editing

1. VFX & CGI ------ N/A
2. Pacing ---------- 8.5/10
3. Color ----------- 8/10

Total: 6.7/10

Technical rating: 8.2/10 Personal rating: 9/10