By Lina Hashim Khalifa
If you’re looking for something full of twists, an unexpected turn, and a true “be careful what you wish for” plotline, then Obsession delivers. The film begins with the energy of a harmless romance as we see Bear develop feelings for his friend Nikki. Their dynamic seems tame, built on friendship, and the familiar question of whether confessing a crush is worth risking the friendship.
Soon enough, the movie veers off its original course when Bear ventures into an apothecary and stumbles upon a supernatural ‘Willow Wish’ that can grant any wish. Rather than confessing his emotions and accepting the possibility of rejection, he chooses control as he resorts to using the Willow Wish to wish for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world.
The wish is manifested immediately as Nikki asks to go home with Bear ushering in a period of confusion and nightmares. What starts as innocent “love” between the two is then followed by Nikki’s overwhelming, disturbing, and eventually terrifying obsession with Bear. Although scary, and despite his friends’ endless questioning, we see Bear being conflicted between continuing the nightmare for the sake of Nikki’s love or to put an end to it.
The film’s appeal lies in how it shifts from an indie love story into a psychological thriller. The early scenes feel casual, familiar, and even cozy, creating a sense of comfort before it pushes you into the dark and invasive nature of obsessions. The supernatural elements further amplify the tension, adding to the film’s increasingly eerie and suspenseful atmosphere.
Inde Navarrette’s acting truly brings these twists and turns to life as she fluctuates between psychotic, angry and loving in the span of minutes, making this romance, or should I say thriller, an entertaining watch.
There are a few points that take away from the potential of this movie. The acting was subpar. Although Navarrette’s performance was riveting, the rest of the cast didn’t quite deliver as much depth or leave a real impact.
Once the central premise of the story is established, it seems to reach an uncomfortable pause. The story gets repetitive, reinforcing her obsessive fixation on Bear in different situations. There was a missed opportunity here to add layers to her obsession or present the story through other emotional or psychological dimensions.
Also, it was rather convenient to frame Nikki as the “psycho” while not giving equal weight to Bear’s controlling behavior that sets the very dynamic in motion. This echoes a broader societal tendency to dismiss women’s emotional responses as irrational while overlooking the role of male control and provocation.
Despite these flaws, the film still offers a compelling exploration of how love, when left unchecked, can become consuming and destructive. It effectively highlights the danger in idealizing love as possession or in believing in the ‘one romantic relationship above all else’ trope that society repeatedly perpetuates. It is ultimately unrealistic and unhealthy but often creates problems that didn’t exist.
Overall, Obsession raises the unsettling question of whether what we truly want is love—or control. Bear is faced with the vulnerability of potentially never having Nikki’s love and, rather than accepting that uncertainty, chooses certainty at the cost of her freedom. Through the Willow Wish, he doesn’t win Nikki’s affection—he imprisons it, stripping away her autonomy and the very qualities that make her who she is. In doing so, the film suggests that love without choice loses its meaning, and that control can never replace genuine connection.
