“Obsession” is lining up to be the best horror film of 2026, with amazing box office sales and well-deserved praise.

“Obsession” follows Baron “Bear” Bailey (Michael Johnston) as he breaks a One Wish Willow to get his crush Nikki Freeman (Inde Navarrette) to fall madly in love with him.

The performances in the movie are outstanding and outside of the background actors, the cast is relatively small.

Navarrette’s role as Nikki was terrifying to see on screen and arguably the best performance in the movie. Navarrete can play both sides of her character really well. Both Nikki in control and out of control of herself,

Nikki’s character is not centered on jump scares, but many times in the movie, her possessed side comes out and is horrifying to see.

There’s a scene at night in which she watches Bear sleep and she is hidden in the shadows. Scenes like these were unsettling and added a well done creepiness factor to the movie.

Johnston’s performance as Bear is also remarkable. He plays his role well as a character who starts innocent enough but later becomes a horrible person. Bear is not supposed to be a likable character and Johnston shows that perfectly with his emotions and acting.

Aside from the amazing acting, the cinematography in “Obsession” is something to obsess over.

“Obsession” is not shot in the typical 16:9 aspect ratio that most movies are shot in. Instead, it is shot in a 1.5:1 aspect ratio, which is pretty close to 4:3. This makes the movie feel more claustrophobic, as if all the characters are being trapped by the curse of the One Wish Willow.

Subtle choices like these are what make horror movies feel so intense.

Perhaps the most disturbing and cruel twist in “Obsession” is who the worst person in the movie is.

In the trailers, it seems like “Obsession” is about Nikki being uncontrollably in love with Bear and that he is suffering because of it. However, the actual movie tells a different tale.

While Nikki does a number of disturbing and upsetting things, all of this happens because she is never in control of her body after Bear makes the wish.

The twist of Bear being the actual bad person works well. Bear starts as a guy who has a crush on a friend who does not like him back. Instead of accepting that, Bear takes away Nikki’s autonomy and freedom for his own gain.

“Obsession” pulls a great twist by showing who is really obsessed with whom. Nikki is obsessed with Bear because of the One Wish Willow, but in reality, it is Bear who is obsessed with Nikki.

It is a chilling realization and what makes “Obsession” so great.

“Obsession” is also a great sign for independent horror films in the future. This movie and “Backrooms” have shown a rise in new film directors taking unique horror movie ideas and having great success at the box office.

The budget for “Obsession” was less than a million dollars. Now, the movie has made $265 million worldwide, making it a massive success.

Original ideas like “Obsession” are what people want to see and hopefully other film studios can start to take note. Coming up with original ideas can be hard, but they are what audiences want to see. The box office numbers prove this.

With its great success, “Obsession” manages to be both horrifying and a great staple in modern horror.

Rating: 4.5/5

Griffin May can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].