MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes long believed that no horror movie could truly frighten him. However, a new tip has shown him the opposite: precisely with a cheap
trick.
I enjoy watching horror movies, but I had actually stopped believing that a horror film could really scare or startle me. Only games like Resident Evil 9 have achieved that for me recently. But a little tip changed that impression.
Before I spontaneously watched Obsession – You Shall Love Me by Curry Barker at the Fantasy Filmfest Nights 2026, I didn’t expect much. I’d heard the title before, but couldn’t place it that evening. The film quickly showed me that I can still be scared and frightened in the cinema.
After a seemingly cheap
trick, things took off
What is Obsession about? The premise is quite simple. Bear, played by Michael Johnston, is in love with his girlfriend Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette. However, he doesn’t dare to tell her. One evening, he finds a wish stick
in an esoteric shop, originally intended as a gift for Nikki. After a frustrating drive, he uses the stick himself and wishes for Nikki to love him as much as nothing else in the world. Well, he got his wish.
At first, I was skeptical because the quite reduced look initially put me off. But then came a scene that essentially comes from the horror mothball chest. A person lies in bed and sees something in a dark corner. As a viewer, you can’t even tell if there’s really something there. I knew what was going to happen, but it still startled me.
This was not just due to the jump scare setup, but mainly because of the situation. The central core of Obsession is love. The film even works with romcom aesthetics and lures the audience into a safe, cozy situation. You know something has to happen, but the staging still reassures you. After this first situation, however, that was broken.
An escalation builds up, wonderfully played by Inde Navarrette. The madness that lies dormant in her is so well embodied that I wanted to cover my eyes in some situations. Not because it became brutal or bloody, but genuinely uncomfortable.
Only a few horror films manage to do that, as they often rely too heavily on cheap jump scares. The audience is rarely lulled into a sense of security in cinemas, and instead of ongoing tension, there is a feeling of fatigue. But that is not the only part of Obsession that makes the film so incredibly worth watching.
difficultrelationship (Image source: Universal Pictures UK)
Who is actually the villain?
Obsession cleverly plays with the question of who is actually the villain in the film. As a viewer, you follow Bear, who experiences the worst things, but he is also to blame for the situation. This is thematized in the film through small sentences without ever being blatant. The focus is also on the ego and pride of the main character.
This makes the classic dumb decisions
of a horror film protagonist not just a topic of excitement but a part of the story. It revolves around victim-perpetrator reversal, toxic masculinity, and who here is actually truly obsessive.
That’s exactly what makes horror films so good: when they address relatable themes and process them in a creepy torture. I also had to think of the legendary film The Shining (1980) by Stanley Kubrick. It’s about the breakdown of a family and the danger posed by the father, a person who should protect the family.
Obsession creates a similar rupture with its characters, but in the network of relationship between friendship, love, and loneliness. Despite the really intense (and well-staged) horror scenes, Obsession manages to approach with a certain tenderness. But of course, that also enhances the many horror elements.
Because one thing should be clear to you: Despite the interesting theme, Obsession is at times also bloody, disgusting, and above all, uncomfortable.
You don’t need a compulsively new idea to create a fresh experience
Obsession doesn’t have a groundbreaking idea on paper, but Curry Barker demonstrates with his 2nd feature film as a director that he harbors true horror talent. The film is well shot, has visually appealing ideas, and most importantly: watching it feels quite confident, as if Barker is a director who has been making films for decades.
It probably helped that he made countless short films (via IMDb). Obsession can set itself apart from the current horror landscape without being incredibly twisted or experimental. The film shows me that there is still much more to the genre, and I can still be startled much more than I thought.
I can only recommend you watch Obsession, especially if horror films have left you cold lately. The film starts in German cinemas on 14.05.2026, and I am already excited about what Curry Barker will do next. 5 more horror film tips can be found here: 5 horror films for 18 and over that are not for the faint of heart
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