"Obsession": the horror of immature feelings

      Imagine: a blanket, an empty office, delivery of Chinese food, a garland, a laptop, and lights turned off everywhere — you probably can't find a better atmosphere for watching "the best horror release of 2026." Although I always insist on watching in theaters, especially when it comes to horror, "Obsession" (18+, 2026) is a bit different.

      So, this film has been praised from every corner, and I don't want to be an exception, so I join the general flow of compliments. If I recall my review of "Behind the Reality" (18+, 2026), where my stance was rather uncertain, here it’s clear — "Obsession" is actually a decent film. Not just as a horror, but as a film about some unhealthy selfishness.

      A fairy tale for adults

      !Disclaimer! Spoilers may (and definitely will) appear in the text below.

      It's no secret to those who have watched that the film's title, which speaks of obsession and irresistible desire, can be attributed not to the main character. But let's start from the beginning.

      At the start, we meet the insecure record store clerk, Bearon (Michael Johnston). He is hopelessly in love with Nikki (Inde Navarrette) — a beauty, childhood friend, and colleague. They are different to the extent that it is possible: he is a shy, confused young man with vague life plans; she is a bright girl, in love with herself and life, dreaming of leaving for the "big world" and becoming a writer. In general, Nikki resembles a character from some novel, but alas, not a fairy tale.

      Bear (the main character's nickname) cannot confess his feelings on his own, so he takes a desperate and foolish step — he finds a magic wand that is supposed to grant one wish to whoever breaks it.

      As you can easily guess, everything goes quite differently than the main character expected.

      Overall, the plot is completely non-trivial, but the superficial essence is also there. The story indeed resembles some fairy tale that was often played out in rom-coms of the 2000s, only there was no blood and horror. Now, again under the pressure of modern trends, the ancient plot has undergone changes, and in the end, we have not justice for the poor girl, but a real tragedy for everyone.

      Not everything is perfect

      Speaking of the scary component of the film, I must note that everything is, again, quite good for a low-budget movie (the costs amounted to $750,000 with a box office of $443 million). With natural special effects, there are several scenes that genuinely scare you with what’s happening on screen. By the end, the atmosphere is oppressive, and you become increasingly frightened by the realization that everything is about to end, and clearly not with a happy ending.

      But we need to talk separately about the main character. Bear, also known as Bearon, is simply a moral monster. If you had heard how we watched this... This character is so off-putting from the very beginning that during the viewing, you feel so little sympathy for him that you almost boil over with his screen time.

      The essence of the film is that Bear, fearing rejection, fearing something else, being an absolute egoist, decides against Nikki's will to do everything to make her "love him." Throughout the film, the main character is shown and hears the "real Nikki," who was scared and didn’t understand what was happening, and asked for help, for salvation. But this dried fruit in his head had the idiotic thought: "Is death really better than being with me?" In short, AAAAA! It really infuriated me.

      Well, overall — a good scary fairy tale for the evening. Great visuals, the main heroine (or rather, actress Inde), and a well-developed plot. "Obsession" reminded me of "One Whole" (18+, 2025), which last year became, perhaps, my best romantic drama released in theaters. Only here it’s more about some immature feeling of infatuation and a surge of hormones, while there it’s about the choice of two adults.

      I recommend watching it in any case!