I don’t like movies that leave me feeling uncomfortable, and that’s exactly what Obsession did.
It’s not scary in the traditional horror sense. There aren’t endless jump scares or tons of over-the-top kills. The horror comes from the tension. It’s that feeling that something is wrong, that something awful is going to happen, but you don’t know what or when. The entire movie had me stressed out.
Will I ever watch it again? Probably not.
Not because it’s bad—it’s actually brilliant. The performances are fantastic, the tension is expertly built, and it does exactly what it sets out to do. I was just too stressed while watching it. Maybe now that I know what’s coming it wouldn’t feel as intense, but honestly, I don’t want to risk finding out.
One of the biggest highlights for me was Inde Navarrette. I’ve loved watching actors grow in their careers, and I’ve been a fan of hers since Superman & Lois. This is the first time I’ve seen her on the big screen, and I want to see so much more of her. Give me Inde Navarrette and Mia Goth in horror and drama movies forever. They bring an intensity and emotional depth that I think deserves far more praise.
And while we’re talking performances, this movie reminded me how much I appreciate actors who can make you feel something—even if that feeling is hatred. I absolutely despised the main male character, and that’s a credit to Michael Johnston’s performance. When an actor can pull a genuine emotional reaction out of me, they’ve done their job.
It’s the same reason Hector hates Rosamund Pike’s characters in Gone Girl and I Care a Lot. He can’t stand those characters, but the second he sees Rosamund Pike is in a movie, he’s interested because he knows she’s going to make him feel something. That’s a skill that feels increasingly rare.
Lately, I’ve noticed there are a lot of movies where I’m clearly supposed to root for the main character, but I just don’t care. Sometimes the writing isn’t there. Sometimes the performance isn’t there. Sometimes the character is just… mediocre. Recently we watched a movie where I couldn’t connect with the protagonist at all, and I don’t even remember the movie’s name now. That’s how little impact it had.
Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’ve consumed too much media and become harder to impress.
But I honestly think movies aren’t being made the same way anymore.
However I’ve recently loved movies like You, Me and Tuscany, I love Bootsers, and Project Hail Mary for the same reason. They made me invest emotionally.
At the end of the day, that’s what I want from a movie. Not perfection. Not prestige. Just something that makes me feel.
Obsession definitely did that.
Maybe a little too well.
