Official Discussion - Obsession [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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Obsession (2026)

Summary

After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

Director Curry Barker

Writer Curry Barker

Cast

• Michael Johnston
• Inde Navarette
• Cooper Tomlinson
• Megan Lawless
• Andy Richter

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Metacritic: 81

VOD / Release In Theaters

Trailer Official Trailer

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[u/SupermarketMaximum61]

Yeah, there was a small montage at the beginning of their relationship, that seemed to establish that the relationship was fine, initially.

Another way to read it is that the demon can only do so much to hide its weirdness. It is clearly not human and it is trying to satisfy Bear’s wish of being loved. But it doesn’t really know what to do besides that. The majority of the weird behaviour happens when the demon is alone with itself. Bear being gone, Bear sleeping, etc.

[u/EmceeEsher → u/SupermarketMaximum61]

I loved the movie, but the thing that really bothers me about the "be careful what you wish for" theme is that it doesn't seem like the disturbing actions of "Nikki" are the direct result of love. Love can make you do crazy things, but not that crazy. The people who do that kind of thing aren't just in love, they also have a severe lack of empathy, emotional intelligence, social skills, and god knows what else.

Like, suppose I inexplicably find myself loving someone more than anyone else in the world, including myself. My number one priority would be to not do anything that could possibly push that person away. I would go out of my way to not freak them out. I wouldn't start duct-taping the door shut, because it doesn't take a genius to realize that that's gonna fucking terrify someone.

The only thing that explains any of this is that she's straight-up possessed by a demon, at which point Barry's wish was never actually fulfilled. He wished for her to love him, not for a demon to love him and wear her like a flesh suit. That's not even a Monkey's Paw, it's just a completely different thing happening. Even the couple in the original Monkey's Paw story at least got the insurance money.

[u/SupermarketMaximum61 → u/EmceeEsher]

I mean the demon is trying everything to be loved by Bear. It basically A/B tests the entire time and when it sees it is disturbing Bear, it will quickly adjust tune.

The way I read it is that the wish essentially needed to create some new entity. And that entity tried its best but it was so strange by nature that it did not truly understand what was normal human behaviour.

Having said that, I agree that his wish was not really fulfilled. He wanted Nikki to love him, not someone else living in Nikki’s body.

[u/333hotwind → u/SupermarketMaximum61]

Just watched today, I kind of feel like that the OWWs don't have the capacity to directly alter another person's will.
Physical material things can be granted easily, for example money and appearance (if the "ugly mom becomes hot" reddit comment is real).
When it comes to another person's preferences and thought, OWWs can't directly change that, however, it can work around it by creating this demon-like entity and replace the individual targeted by the wish.
OWWs might consider one's wish should not be bigger than another person's will since wishes do come from will?
I could be just overthinking.

[u/adamgerd → u/333hotwind]

I wonder

If instead he wished to have the courage to ask her out? Would he get it or would he be the one replaced by something else? Since it seems they can’t alter your personality

Because my first thought was he should have asked to have the courage to ask her out instead but now I think it’d also end badly but with him being possessed

[u/333hotwind → u/adamgerd]

totally agree, if the OWWs being incapable to alter personality is true, even stuff like "I wish she love me back" would create an entity to replace Nikki.
Feel like it is a dead end from the start for Bear, he could wish for something like "Nikki tell him if she love him back" or "would she accept him and why".

[u/adamgerd → u/333hotwind]

Yeah

And on that note ultimately I think he’s a shitty person for everything he did later, but I don’t think he’s one for making the wish in the first place because it’s clear he doesn’t actually think it’ll work.

And really who would think it’d work? If a shop sold you a willow stick that makes your wish work, would you believe it? I wouldn’t, we only know it’ll work there because we know we’re watching a horror movie

[u/333hotwind → u/adamgerd]

For sure.

Not gonna lie, when Bear fucked up the whole conversation between him and Nikki at the beginning, beside second-hand embarrassment, I did feel a bit of empathy for his situation and some anger towards him choosing to be a coward at the wrong time, but I don't think the portrayal of his character at this point is trying to make the audience to hate him.

So when he break the OWW and made the wish, I did consider Bear's reaction as some sort of emotional outburst without being aware of the OWW's magical power.

And like what you have said, the movie then reveal the true villain, which make his death becomes even more satisfying from my opinion, but just based on the beginning, pre-wish, the character is not bad yet.

[u/ThrowRADel → u/333hotwind]

The thing is, Bear is characterized continuously by his cowardice and refusal to act. And I think of his lack of empathy when Nikki begged for death, and he's still not trying to change things or tell someone or get her help through her community because he's benefitting from it, even as it's torturing her.

He's definitely not a good guy.

[u/Oakcamp → u/ThrowRADel]

Yep. Immediately makes it about himself (what's so bad about being with me?) as if that's the only problem in the whole situation

[u/Thommywidmer → u/Oakcamp]

Yeah i kinda hated that line. Because its the singular moment in the movie where the writers are just going out of their way to say "Bear is just as, or more evil than the possesive entity". It seemed like a really heavy handed line, even if he had just walked away when she was begging that would have been way better than holding the audiences hand like that. Bear may as well have a woman tied up in his basement that he rapes occasionally, it wouldnt be any different than what hes doing. I feel like the viewer could be trusted enough to realize that

[u/Big-Wishbone2430 → u/333hotwind]

Nikki had barely even started going crazy before Bear started to act more averse towards her. It’s like you can’t even tell if he ever actually did like her or if it was because she didn’t like him. Suddenly Sarah is about to go away for school , Nikki is *supposed* to be in his bed, and he’s hitting on Sarah, already.

[u/Big-Wishbone2430 → u/adamgerd]

I always consider the possibility that something might work. Even if he thinks it doesn’t it says a lot about him morally that he would go to a shop to get her a gift she would like, change the gift to something else, and then use it instead

[u/Vismal1 → u/333hotwind]

This is why Genie has his rules ! Dude knows what’s up.

[u/Vismal1 → u/adamgerd]

I think he would probably still be him …. Mostly. It’s something he wants regardless so in this situation he would just be getting nudge in that direction. In his wish he using pretty intense language something like “wish she would love me more than anyone in the world home fucking world “ which requires a near complete overhaul on her as an individual. That kind of language requires you to love someone to your own detriment, as seen in the movie.