‘Bear’ Bailey (Michael Johnston) is hopelessly in love with his co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette) but struggles to muster the courage to express his feelings to her. When shopping for a present, he discovers a novelty item called a “One Wish Willow” that grants a single wish to its bearer. He wishes for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world, completely unprepared for the level of obsession it will unleash.

When we meet Bear he is a shell of a man. Desperately seeking advice from his friend Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) on how to approach Nikki and ignoring the obvious crush that Sarah (Megan Lawless) has on him for a person who has shown him no interest. Everything about him screams fragility, but also of someone unable to take accountability for his feelings and actions. The consequences of that singular, selfish wish and the burden it places on Nikki slowly become apparent to him, but his entire personality refuses to allow him to take ownership of what he has done. In fact, it seems to unlock an even more selfish lack of gratitude and reveal his manipulative and coercive nature.

Writer/director Curry Barker, making their theatrical feature debut, delivers a script that plumbs the depths of the scenario to intriguing effect whilst slowly building up the threat and pain being caused. Nikki’s obsession becomes terrifying, escalating to a point where the almost inevitable explosion of violence feels like a release for the viewer. What follows carries real weight, both as a horror film and as a statement on coercive and co-dependent relationships. This is not simply about gore, but about truly damaging psychological trauma.

The manner in which this outcome is built is exceptionally clever. We are given reasons to sympathise with Bear early on in the film. At this point we know little of him and he seems sincere whilst battling some personal adversity that leaves him at a low ebb. This initial sympathy allows the viewer to understand Bear’s actions, even if we all know they are wrong. We also get to see how happy this initially makes him, before he slowly grows weary of something he has not earned. At this point we have some exceptional moments that subvert romantic tropes. Watching your partner sleeping, missing them whilst they are at work or making them a packed lunch are loving moments that have never been so filled with dread.

Performances from the four key players are pitch perfect, but it is Inde Navarrette who steals the show with her increasingly unstable Nikki. The moments where we get glimpses of the real Nikki seemingly trapped within her own body, unable to stop these impossible impulses to love Bear, are particularly well played. She is superb throughout.

Obsession is a horror movie that delivers on every one of its ideas. The creeping terror created by Nikki’s obsession is palpable, the inevitable eruption of violence is genuinely shocking, and Bear’s descent into selfishness and coercion becomes increasingly disturbing. By the time the film reaches its conclusion, the emotional devastation it leaves behind is every bit as powerful as the physical horror. Exceptional.