Obsession

Directed by Curry Barker, Obsession follows Michael Johnston’s Bear as he unlocks chaos after wishing for his crush’s (Inde Navarrette’s Nikki) undying love. Filmmaker Barker, armed with his own screenplay, does a fantastic job of instantly capturing the viewer’s interest and attention, as Obsession kicks off with a terrific opening stretch that effectively establishes the characters and the initially conventional scenario – with the exceedingly deliberate pace generally offset by the compelling visuals and underlying mystery (ie it’s impossible, in the movie’s first act, to figure out exactly where this is all going). And while the 108 minute running time admittedly does result in some narrative lulls (ie the picture could certainly use some streamlining), Obsession builds towards an increasingly engrossing midsection and second half that’s been punctuated with striking, shocking bits of horror – which, when coupled with a seriously satisfying final stretch, ultimately confirms the picture’s place as a first-class effort from a promising new filmmaker.

***1/2 out of ****