Obsession (2026) review: Be careful what you wish for

Ric Kearbey
May 31
5 min read

🎬 The Ric-ter Scale™

3.5 / 5

Verdict: Worth Watching

Quick facts

Genre: Fantasy Horror

Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

Rating: R

Parent recommendation: Adults

Obsession (2026) review and verdict

Sometimes a movie's entire premise can be summed up in a single sentence.

Be careful what you wish for.

That's exactly what Obsession explores, and for me, that was one of the most interesting parts of the film.

The story follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a young man hopelessly in love with his longtime crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Unable to muster the courage to tell her how he truly feels, Bear makes a supernatural wish to finally win her heart. What follows is a chilling reminder that getting exactly what you want may come with consequences you never imagined.

While the movie can get surprisingly intense, disturbing, and even graphic at times, the horror isn't rooted in demons, possession, or occult themes. Instead, Obsession plays more like a fantasy horror story built around a simple question:

What if a wish really came true?

And what if it went terribly wrong?

That's where the movie finds its strength. It takes an idea most of us have joked about or wondered about at some point in our lives and pushes it to its darkest possible conclusion. Let's dig deeper into my Obsession (2026) review.

What worked

I thought the production was surprisingly solid considering the film was made on an extremely small budget. Reports place the budget somewhere in the neighborhood of $650,000 to $700,000, which is remarkable for a movie that ultimately landed a theatrical release. Director Curry Barker shot much of the film in and around Los Angeles using real homes and practical locations rather than expensive studio sets. Some scenes were even filmed inside director Curry Barker’s own apartment. That gives the movie a grounded feel that helps sell the fantasy elements.

The standout performance for me was definitely Inde Navarrette as Nikki.

The role required her to completely transform throughout the movie, and she had to sell some very uncomfortable and intense emotional swings. More importantly, she had to communicate a lot through facial expressions and body language. That's not easy to pull off, and I thought she delivered. Whether or not she becomes the breakout star from this film remains to be seen, but she certainly showed she has talent and range.

Michael Johnston does solid work as Bear, making the audience understand his loneliness and desperation, even when his choices start leading the story into darker territory. Cooper Tomlinson, playing Bear's best friend Ian, was also a welcome presence throughout the film. He was one of the more likable characters on screen and helped keep the story grounded when things started getting weird.

The premise itself is strong. We've all heard the phrase, "Be careful what you wish for." Obsession takes that simple idea and explores it in a way that feels surprisingly believable despite the fantasy elements. That concept alone kept me invested throughout much of the movie.

What didn't work as well

Where the movie lost me a little was its reliance on jump scares.

Some of them work.

Some are genuinely effective.

The filmmakers create several moments of real tension where you know something is coming, but you don't know exactly when. Those scenes are fun and are exactly why horror movies can be such a blast in a theater.

But eventually the movie leans a little too heavily on screaming and sudden shocks. Your mileage may vary, but I found myself wishing it trusted its premise and characters a little more.

In fact, if the filmmakers had relied less on screaming and a few of the more obvious jump scares, I probably would have scored the movie higher. The premise is strong enough that it didn't always need those moments. That's just my personal preference, but I found myself wanting a little more tension and a little less volume.

I also think the movie could have benefited from a stronger musical identity. There were opportunities for music to elevate key moments and give the film a little more personality. Considering the tiny budget, that may simply have been a luxury the filmmakers couldn't afford.

Another issue is that the movie occasionally shows its budget limitations.

There's one visual effects sequence that sticks out for all the wrong reasons. Without spoiling anything, it feels noticeably below the quality level of the rest of the film and briefly pulls you out of the experience. It was almost surprising to see it make the final cut. Fortunately, it's a short moment and not enough to derail the movie.

I also think Obsession may run a little long at 1 hour and 48 minutes. Tightening a few scenes and adding one truly memorable plot twist could have elevated the movie from good to great.

That said, I may be in the minority on some of these opinions.

A lot of critics and moviegoers are loving this film, and it's hard to argue with the results. A movie made for well under a million dollars has become one of the surprise success stories of 2026 and proves once again that a great idea can go a long way.

Should you see it?

If you're interested in the premise, I would recommend seeing it in a theater. The big screen and the sound design absolutely help the scare factor. If you're only mildly curious, waiting for streaming is perfectly reasonable too. I'm not convinced the movie would have quite the same impact at home, but it would still be an enjoyable watch.

Parent's guide

Obsession is rated R for horror violence, disturbing images, language, and sexual content.

Parents should know the film includes a sexual scene that leaves little doubt about what is taking place, even though there is little to no nudity shown. The movie also contains jump scares, disturbing imagery, and several intense sequences.

As a father, I would not consider this a movie for younger viewers. Whether it's appropriate for an older teenager will depend on your family's standards and what your child has already been exposed to. Parents who are sensitive to sexual content should be aware that the film goes beyond simple kissing or implied romance.

For most families, I'd consider this an adult horror film rather than a movie aimed at teenagers.

One more thing: Curry Barker's story is pretty incredible

One of the most fascinating parts of Obsession isn't the movie itself. It's the story behind director Curry Barker.

Before directing one of the surprise movie hits of 2026, Barker was creating comedy sketches and short films online, building an audience while teaching himself filmmaking along the way. He later gained attention with the ultra low budget horror project Milk & Serial before making the leap to Obsession.

Whether you love the movie or not, it's hard not to admire the journey. Barker is part of a growing group of creators proving that YouTube and social media can sometimes be a film school of their own.

Final thoughts

Either way, Obsession is an impressive achievement for a first-time filmmaker working with limited resources. It's not perfect, but it offers a fun and often creepy exploration of why the old warning still exists:

Be careful what you wish for. It just might come true.

🎬 The Ric-ter Scale™ recap

Final Score: 3.5 / 5

What does that mean?

5.0 = Must See

4.5 = Excellent

4.0 = Highly Recommended

3.5 = Worth Watching

3.0 = Wait for Streaming

Under 3.0 = Skip It

A clever premise, a strong performance from Inde Navarrette, and impressive filmmaking on a tiny budget make Obsession worth a look, even if a few jump scares, some uneven pacing, and one rough special effect keep it from reaching its full potential.