Video summary
The video presents a glowing review of the horror film *Obsession*, directed and written by Curry Barker, which is praised as an exceptional entry in recent years despite its low budget. The reviewer highlights how the film masterfully transforms a seemingly innocent and naive concept into a genuine horror experience, drawing inspiration from classic cursed object tropes like the monkey's paw. The narrative centers on Bear, a man infatuated with a girl named Nikki who is too nervous to ask her out, until he makes a wish at a convenience store that returns tenfold in terrifying ways. This setup allows the story to explore deep themes of obsession, despair, and the complexities of human relationships while building significant tension before delivering scares.
A major focus of the review is the phenomenal performance by the actress playing Nikki, who carries the entire film on her shoulders with a multi-layered portrayal of a character trapped in her own body. Her acting seamlessly shifts between obsessive tendencies, self-destructive nature, and fleeting moments of innocence as she tries to break free from her condition. The director and cinematographer are commended for their ability to create a stew of dread through subtle elements like lighting, music, and character movements, such as the chilling scene where Nikki moves backward in the dark with only a glimmer of light visible in her eyes. These techniques force the audience to build the horror within their own minds, reminiscent of shots from *The Invisible Man*, rather than relying on cheap jump scares.
Beyond the artistic merits, the reviewer discusses the film's impressive success given that it was made for less than a million dollars, sparking a conversation about residual payments and profit sharing in independent filmmaking. While noting that some crew members felt they received nothing despite the movie's global success, the reviewer contrasts this with industry giants like Jason Blumhouse who often retain most profits, while acknowledging that films backed by larger entities like Netflix or projects involving stars like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon typically share wealth more equitably among the crew. The film is recommended not only for horror fans but also for couples, as it offers an interesting look into relationships, friendships, and the true nature of evil, which is revealed to be shared between the cursed Nikki and the equally culpable Bear.
Ultimately, the reviewer gives *Obsession* a perfect seven out of seven rating and highly recommends seeing it at least once, perhaps twice, to fully appreciate its depth and impact. The film stands out for its ability to balance light, tone, anticipation, and surprise, creating a lasting impression that few modern horror movies achieve. By examining the darker aspects of human behavior and the consequences of unchecked desire, the movie succeeds in being both terrifying and thought-provoking. The reviewer concludes by encouraging viewers to share their thoughts in the comments, particularly regarding the moral ambiguity of the characters, and expresses hope that more films like this will be made to explore such compelling subjects.
Read the full video transcript
Ooh, that's a hot mug, guys.
>> Hey guys, this is my review for
Obsession. Apologies for the lateness of
this review. I saw the film just before
I went on my vacation, but I have been
thinking about it ever since. And pretty
much everything you've heard is pretty
much true. I had actually been following
this film ever since it got announced at
a film festival last year. I cannot
remember which one, but the hype around
it was so grand just from those initial
reviews. I had a feeling we were in for
something good. Even with a concept as
seemingly simple as essentially a cursed
monkey paw story, this is exceptional.
Curry Barker as writer and director
really weaves a fantastic story about
something seemingly innocent and a
little bit naive into a true idea of
horror. Follows this guy called Bear who
is really infatuated with this girl
called Nikki, but unfortunately he's too
nervous to ask her out. And even then,
you kind of wonder if she would want
anything if she just more so wanting
friendship. When he goes to this little
convenience store and finds this little
break it and make a wish thing.
>> I wish Nikki would truly love me more
than anyone in the entire world.
>> And that comes back 10 horrifyingly
times fold. What proceeds is a fantastic
performance by the actress who plays
Nikki. But she does a phenomenal job in
this film. Absolutely carrying this
movie on her back with a performance
that is weaving in horror, despair,
innocence, very multi-layered
performance of a person who is trapped
in her own body. She has so many moments
where it goes back and forth between
obsessive tendencies, [music]
obsessive nature, self-destructive
nature, and these little glimmers of
where she's trying to break through the
fold. Those are some of the most
horrifying elements. And with how the
film is shot, fantastic work by the DOP
by the way. We'll bring him up later.
>> [music]
>> And the music and the simple mo-
movements that are in this movie.
There's a part where she just kind of
moves backwards, but it's so terrifying.
Barker really knows how to make the
audience lie in this stew of tension and
dread before he brings on the scares.
It's something that most horror films
nowadays seem to forget that you really
do need to build up to it. And you don't
just be like, "Oh, here's a scary area
and then come scare." You need to add
the elements of the light, the music,
the tone, the character movements, the
anticipation, and then the surprise.
Which this film does in spades and
multiple times.
>> Only the branch of a willow tree could
conjure.
>> Going back again to the DOP, there are
these shots where Nikki is standing in
the dark and all you can see this tiny
little glimmer of light in her eye. And
whether she's doing it in her evil sort
of obsessive nature or her innocent
trying to break through, it is so good.
There are so many shots in this movie
that kind of made me think about the
Invisible Man in terms of a simplistic
shot and holding there and letting the
audience build the horror in their own
minds. It's taken off. Look at how
successful this has been. I know there's
been some talk on the side from people
who worked on the movie who said, "Oh,
we made nothing from it." Well, the
movie was made for less than a million
dollars. When the movie is made for
nothing, you're going to get paid
nothing. That's just how it is in
independent filmmaking. Does this open
up a conversation once again about
residual gross or
spread gross between crew members?
Absolutely. If I'm correct, Ben Affleck
and Matt Damon's company, that is what
happens when the film has success or
industry built-in cash, like say
something for Netflix, that wealth is
shared amongst the crew members as well,
whether it's theatrical or Netflix. And
at the core of this too, there also is
Jason Blumhouse, who is notorious for
trying to make movies for less than 5 to
10 million dollars, which means no one
gets paid except him. So again, there is
a discussion for that, but for this
movie in particular, it was made for
nothing, it was made with nothing, and
it just so happens to be a fantastic
global success, which I'm very happy
for, and I hope that everyone in this
movie involved gets chances to make more
successes because [music] I would love
to see more movies like this. Obsession
is by far one of the best horror movies
in recent years. I would highly
recommend you go see it. Go see it with
your girlfriend if you want a really
interesting experience. Our ladies with
your boyfriends cuz it has a very
interesting look into relationships,
friendships, obsessive natures,
>> [music]
>> and what is really the true evil or the
true negative. Because while yes, Nikki
is the one who is under this spell, we
see horrors of its own with Bear and
with his actions and his choices. He is
not an innocent person in this story at
all. If anything, he can [music] kind of
be viewed as the villain. Let's discuss
that in the comments below. By the way,
the rating for this movie, if it wasn't
obvious enough, it's a seven out of
seven. Absolutely, 100%. Go see it. If
you haven't seen it, go see it. If
you've seen it already, maybe see it
again. Either way, guys, that's all for
me. I hope you enjoyed this review. If
you did, leave a like. If you're
interested in more, subscribe. Please,
give me your thoughts about this movie
in the comments below. Let's have a good
discussion. I'm interested to see what
you guys have to say. Otherwise, that's
all for me. See you guys next time.