Obsession Filmmaker Curry Barker Discusses the Horrifying Twist Behind the Film’s Inspiration

(SeaPRwire) –   Warning: This post contains some spoilers for Obsession, now in theaters.

A pivotal scene early in Obsession sees Bear (Michael Johnston), a timid music-store employee in his twenties, repeatedly missing chances to confess his romantic feelings to Nikki (Inde Navarrette)—his childhood friend, coworker, and long-time crush. Instead of speaking up, he lets her leave without revealing his deep affection. This hesitation leads him to break open the ’80s novelty “One Wish Willow” toy he intended to give her, wishing instead that she would love him more than anyone else in the world. To his shock, Nikki suddenly reappears outside his car window, behaving unlike herself—more intense and unhinged than ever before. Despite her drastic change, Bear still invites her over, leading to a kiss and an overnight stay at his home. What follows is only the beginning of a dark transformation.

Over the course of Obsession‘s 108-minute runtime, Nikki evolves into a destructive, possessive, and dangerously violent version of herself, driven solely by Bear’s supernatural spell to obsess over him—regardless of the consequences.

If there’s a message writer-director Curry Barker wanted to convey about modern dating culture through Obsession, it centers on the importance of taking initiative. “We live in a world where everyone’s online, and genuine human connection seems harder than ever,” Barker tells TIME. “Bear is a guy who’s too afraid. If he had just spoken up, many of these events could have been avoided.”

‘Anytime you wish for something, it’s probably going to be selfish’

Barker, 26, first gained internet fame with creative partner Cooper Tomlinson (who plays Bear’s friend Ian) as the creators of the YouTube sketch-comedy channel “that’s a bad idea.” They later transitioned into feature-length horror with Milk & Serial, a micro-budget slasher shot in found-footage style. Barker wrote, directed, and starred in the film, which went viral after its free release on their channel in August 2024. The buzz attracted major Hollywood studios, culminating in Obsession being acquired by Focus Features for a reported $14 million following a strong festival debut. Now heading into its opening weekend, the film boasts a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, with Barker emerging as one of horror’s rising stars. His upcoming projects include Blumhouse’s horror-comedy Anything But Ghosts—a collaboration with Tomlinson starring Aaron Paul and Bryce Dallas Howard—as well as A24’s reimagining of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which Barker says will depart sharply from recent entries in the franchise.

Barker chose the timeless “be careful what you wish for” theme in Obsession to explore how our deepest desires often serve personal gain. “Any time you wish for something, it’s probably going to be selfish,” he says. “When people ask me, ‘Curry, if you had one wish, what would it be?’ I always joke, ‘That the movie does really great at the box office.’ And it usually gets a laugh. But honestly, that’s pretty selfish—I could’ve wished for world peace.”

In a twist on the classic Monkey’s Paw legend, Barker explains that the One Wish Willow isn’t inherently cursed. “Everyone thinks it’s cursed, but it’s not,” he says. “If you phrase your wish very carefully and ask for something that can’t possibly harm anyone, you’re likely safe. But if your wish forces someone to feel a certain way about you—no matter how you word it—it won’t end well.”

‘Love should be earned’

Though Bear fits the stereotype of the “nice guy” who’s been rejected romantically, his response to the situation quickly becomes sinister. Even as Nikki grows increasingly unstable and terrifying, and despite warnings from friends and his own awareness that her devotion is artificial, Bear remains indifferent. “The moment you realize Bear absolutely knows what’s happening is during the restaurant scene,” Barker notes. “He directly asks Nikki, ‘You love me more than anyone in the world?’—the exact wording of his wish. When she responds, ‘Why does it matter?’, he replies, ‘It doesn’t matter to me.’ That’s when it’s confirmed.”

Nikki’s autonomy is stripped away as she’s forced into a monstrous, unnatural version of herself capable of horrific acts. Her brief moments of clarity—where she screams in agony or begs Bear to kill her and end her suffering—are among the film’s most disturbing sequences. These scenes are clearly meant to erode any sympathy for Bear as the story builds toward its nightmarish climax.

Without revealing specifics, the conclusion of Obsession delivers a brutal and unforgettable ending that may make viewers reconsider wishing for a crush to return their affections—even without a magical object involved. As Barker puts it, “Love should be earned. Anything that’s not probably won’t work out.”