Obsession was (genuinely) a MASTERPIECE

[00:00:00]A dude uploading horror shorts to YouTube just changed the game. And I know that sounds dramatic, but after watching The Obsession, I don't even know what else to call it because Curry Barker didn't just make a good horror movie. Bro embarrassed half of Hollywood in the process. This man walked in with a budget that probably wouldn't even pay for a Kasan trailer and somehow cooked up one of the most talked about horror movies in years. Meanwhile, studios been spending $200 million just for the third act to look like great oatmeal.

[00:00:31]>> It's Hollywood, baby.

[00:00:32]>> Hollywood got to hold that because obsession proves something I've been saying forever. Money does not make a movie good. Writing does. Cuz if I don't care, I don't care.

[00:00:42]>> We do not care.

[00:00:43]>> That's why horror is special. Horror is one of the few genres where creativity can completely outclass money. A scary movie doesn't need $300 million. It needs tension and silence. It needs a director who knows how to make a normal room feel like somebody is standing behind you even when nobody is there.

[00:01:00]That's what Curry Barker does here. But before we start glazing the film making too much, we got to talk about this main character because oh nah, what the heck was Bear doing?

[00:01:10]>> That brother starving.

[00:01:11]>> I haven't seen such cartoon villain behavior from a main character in a minute. For an hour and 49 minutes straight, I could not believe this man kept finding new ways to make his flag redder and redder. He hold everybody in his friend group. Every single person.

[00:01:27]Bear was not just a loser. He was a lame. You got to say those words with emphasis or it don't feel right. A loser. A lame. But let's start from the top. Peep game.

[00:01:37]>> Okay, let's go.

[00:01:39]>> The movie opens with Bear. This awkward dude working at a music store. Quiet, socially cooked, no game whatsoever.

[00:01:46]This brother looks like he apologizes when somebody else steps on his shoes.

[00:01:50]And immediately the movie makes him believable. That's one of the first things Barker does, right? Bear isn't some cartoon incel villain from frame one. He's just painfully awkward. This the type of dude who done created 12 fake conversations in his head with a girl and somehow got blocked by the third one. He likes Nikki bad. Not regular crush bad. I'm talking we've never been on a date, but I already know what our kids' names would be. Bad. And the crazy part is this whole movie happens because bro was afraid to shoot his shot. Nikki literally gives him the cleanest lob of all times and asks him straight up, >> do you like me?

[00:02:26]>> I think we're good friends. What did he say?

[00:02:30]>> And this man still foes, brother. The rim was wide open. Nobody was guarding you. And you brick like this. That's the generational loser behavior.

[00:02:39]embarrassed, so locked into his fantasy of Nikki that he doesn't even notice the actual human dynamics around him. Sarah is completely paying attention to him.

[00:02:48]Ian is being Ian. Nikki's playing around with him. And Bear just standing there with that nice guy starter pack.

[00:02:54]>> And you're going to be too [music] wet.

[00:02:55]100%. And here's how.

[00:02:57]>> Don't flirt with him. I'm not going to [music] >> thinking being harmless is the same thing as being desirable. It's not.

[00:03:11]Sometimes that nice guy act is only your main move because you got nothing else in your bag. But then life makes everything worse. Bear gets home and finds his cat dead. Now off rip, I don't want to say bro didn't care about his cat, but he did move on suspiciously fast. Kevin, uh, your dog just died.

[00:03:32]>> Like, dang. Sandy ain't going to even get a full business day and you already at trivia night trying to get play. The cat was not mourned properly. But this is also where Curry Barker's pacing starts showing. A lot of horror movies would have rushed straight into the scary ears. Not this one. It lets us sit with Bear first. His loneliness, his awkwardness, his cringe. Because if you don't understand Bear early, the rest of the movie don't even hit. A movie making you understand somebody does not mean it's telling you they're right. And that's important because later Bear is going to do some next level trash. So Bear ends up buying Nikki a replacement necklace after she loses hers. And while he's there, he finds the one wish Willow, a tiny little wishing object that supposedly grants one wish. Now listen, if somebody tells me, "Yeah, guess it grants wishes." But don't come back complaining. I'm putting that thing right back on the shelf. I don't care if it grants free Chick-fil-A for life. I'm walking away because any object with the wish attached to it in [music] a horror movie is immediately a federal threat.

[00:04:30]No side effects, no instruction manual, no return policy. You just wishing on cursed merch, huh? Come on now, dog. But Bear being Bear hears all this and thinks, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This seems like a great idea."

[00:04:43]>> You stupid.

[00:04:44]>> They're not. And later, after completely folding in front of Nikki, he makes the wish, "I wish Nikki loved me more than anyone else in the world." Brother, do you hear yourself? And this is where the movie officially stops being an awkward romance and starts becoming one of the most uncomfortable horror movies of the year because The Wish works and fast.

[00:05:07]Most movies would have waited 45 minutes before anything happened, but Nikki starts acting different almost immediately. Like look how she's suddenly standing outside when I could have swore that door just closed and she had left already. At first it's subtle.

[00:05:21]So Nikki slowly walks back over to Bear's car and immediately says, "Let's go to your place." The wish ain't even been active 5 minutes yet. Can we at least pretend to ease into it? Bear, of course, is confused as a mug because from his perspective, none of this junk makes sense. Remember, we know there is magic involved. Bear doesn't. To him, this is just a girl he's liked for years, suddenly acting completely different overnight. So, when he tells her no, she immediately starts wigging, talking about her her dad got cancer or was terminally ill or some junk, and how she doesn't want to be alone. She went from saying, "Ew." when Bear said he got her a present to saying she just needs somebody for tonight. And this is where I think Curry Barker makes a really smart decision because he doesn't make Nikki creepy immediately. She's sad, vulnerable. You almost feel bad for her.

[00:06:11]And because you feel bad, bear feels bad, too. So, he caves in and takes her home. Nothing. That's instantly screaming POLICE HELP.

[00:06:20]>> IF YOU DIDN'T know about the wish, you probably think, "Oh, she finally likes some back." But Curry Barker doesn't play it like a victory. He plays it like something is wrong. That's the sauce.

[00:06:29]>> Barbecue sauce.

[00:06:31]>> Because Bear should be happy. This is literally what he's asked for. But even he starts looking around like, "Hold on.

[00:06:38]Why does this feel off?" And that's where Barker's directing really starts cooking up a mean place of five-star gourmet because he makes normal things feel wrong. A stare just last a little too long. A smile stays on her face just a little too long. It's not scary because somebody jumped out. It's scary because your brain keeps whispering, "It's not right. It's really eerie here.

[00:06:59]Something's [ __ ] >> And that's real horror. Anybody can blast a violin over somebody opening a cabinet. Congratulations. You made me flinch."

[00:07:07]>> Boring. Obsession wants something worse.

[00:07:11]It wants to make you uncomfortable. Now, as Nikki starts getting more obsessive, Bear does what Bear does best. He ignores every red flag like their optional side quest. The obsessive staring, ignored. The sudden personality shift, ignored.

[00:07:26]>> What the [ __ ] >> The fact she keeps having these random moments where the real Nikki seems to break through, ignored. This man saw a woman acting like a corrupted save file and said, >> "Okay, >> brother, no. She got a chat GPT prompted personality all of a sudden and you not even slightly concerned. And that's where the movie starts getting messy in a good way because in the beginning you can argue Bear genuinely doesn't know the wish worked. A $7 wish toy is not something most people are going to take seriously. Like if I buy a little wooden trinket and wish for my bank account to magically gain 10 millions of dollars, I'm not expecting Chase to call me in the morning. So early on I get why Bear is confused. But then the evidence just starts [music] stacking. And at a certain point, confusion turns into denial. Denial turns into the greed they talk about in the Bible. And that's the point where Bear starts losing me.

[00:08:16]Because once Ian calls him and tells him Nikki lied about her dad having cancer, that should have been the moment where Bear brain finally clicks. This isn't normal. This isn't just she's crazy.

[00:08:28]This is the wish, bro. So Bear confronts her. He asks her if she was really telling the truth about her dad. and Nikki starts tweaking like full-on malfunctioning. This really just a what would it be like to date a crazy Latina simulator. And after seeing all that, after watching her behavior completely break down, this man continues the relationship.

[00:08:48]>> So, we didn't learn. We didn't learn from last time.

[00:08:51]>> Yeah. Nah. That's where the he didn't know defense start running out of gas because at that point, you know enough.

[00:08:58]Maybe not every detail. Maybe not the full supernatural contract, but you know something is wrong. and Bear keeps going anyway. That's why this character is so frustrating. It's not like he's evil in like a super villain way. He's worse in a more realistic way. He's selfish. He wants the fantasy so bad that he keeps ignoring the person being destroyed in front of him. And that's what makes the horror work. The wish didn't create Bear's worst qualities. It amplified them. The weird [ __ ] tendencies were already there. The wish just removed barriers. That's disgusting writing in a good way. Then the movie starts escalating even harder. At night, Nikki is just standing there in the corner watching him sleep. Man, I would have teleported out of that house. You wake up at 3:00 in the morning and somebody's standing in the dark with those dead eyes. I'm leaving through the wall. The house belongs to her now. Like, that's going to solve it. Bear tries to hear her with the Please stop. Like, that's going to solve it.

[00:09:54]>> No, [ __ ] >> Brother, she is not your little cousin asking if you got video games on your phone. [music] This is supernatural clinginess. Please stop is not clearing the curse. [music] And of course, it gets worse. He wakes up and tries to leave for work and she hands him lunch like everything is normal. Except the door is duct taped shut and she's over here smiling like everything's sweet.

[00:10:15]But surprisingly, that wasn't enough to keep bro inside. He opens the door and leaves. And as he walks out, she just stands there with that creepy smile waiting. This is where Barker's direction is so nasty, too, because the scene itself is simple. just Nikki standing there. But the way his frame makes it feel like the house is infected or something. That's the power of restraint. Barker lets the moment sit there. He doesn't cut away too fast. He just trusts the image. Just an image that makes your stomach drop. Then Bear gets to work and once again, this man has another chance to literally tell anyone what is happening. Sarah is right there. Ian is right there. Somebody could help, but no. He keeps on trying to act like everything is normal. He's lying and dodging questions, trying to protect this nightmare relationship because admitting the truth means admitting he caused it. Then he takes a bite out of a sandwich Nikki packed for him and [music] starts wondering why it tastes like elephant knees and pickled lemur nose. Then it hits him. The sandwich has chopped pieces of his dead cat Sandy in it. Nah. First off, rest in peace my [ __ ] Sandy. Second, this cat has had the worst post-death treatment I've ever seen. Not only did Bear barely mourn it, now it's over here being lunch meat. That's generational disrespect.

[00:11:30]And this is another reason this movie works because that reveal is nasty. It's not just shock value. It tells Bear and the audience one thing and one thing very clear. This is not love. And Bear finally does what he should have done a long time ago. Bro gets the scadaddling out and gets into his car and calls customer service for the cursed wish toy, which might be the funniest concept in the whole movie because imagine being on that phone call. Thank you for calling One Wish Willow support. For curses, press one. For possession, press two. If your wish has destroyed your life, please stay on the line. And then Bear asked if he can alter their wish.

[00:12:08]Not even cancel that mug at first. Alter it. And that's important because even now his first instinct is being a whole ass [ __ ] And this phone call might honestly be the moment where Bear officially loses every ounce of sympathy I had left. Because the operator basically tells him, "Yeah, Brody, you're cooked. The wish only ends if you die." And immediately I'm sitting there like, "Move over. Roll the credits." But then I remember this is Bear we're talking about. This man has been allergic to making the correct decision for the last hour. The operator even lets him hear the real Nikki. And man, this scene is heartbreaking. She trapped in that mug screaming for her life. It's one of the few moments where the movie completely drops the creepy atmosphere and just becomes tragic for a second.

[00:12:52]Because up until now, we've been watching Willow Nikki run around on this screen. But hearing the real Nikki suffering underneath everything reminds you that this isn't just a monster.

[00:13:01]There's still a person trapped in there.

[00:13:03]And that's such a smart writing decision. A lesser horror movie would have just turned Na into a creepy possessed girl. Obsession refuses to let you forget who she used to be. That makes every scene afterward hurt just the much more. And Bear, this useless [ __ ] just hangs up. Brother, there's a woman trapped in her own mind, basically Arkham's asylum, and your response is to hang up. Then things somehow get even weirder when we get to the boys night scene. This is honestly one of my favorite scenes in the entire movie, too. Not because it's funny, but because it's unbelievably uncomfortable. Nikki starts reciting that Hansel and Gretam poem that nobody knows. Everybody just standing there like Ian confused, Sarah confused, Bear confused. Sh [ __ ] I'm confused. Turns out that poem is actually the real Nikki trying to communicate, trying to remind Bear that she's always seen him like family, trying to tell him to lock in before she tweaks out. And honestly, she wasting her dang time because Bear has the observational skills of a goldfish. This woman is literally breaking through a supernatural curse to send you clues.

[00:14:06]And this man still don't get it. Then the real Nikki takes control for a few seconds, smashes the bottle against her noggin, and starts screaming.

[00:14:14]That scene, man, everybody in the room immediately realizes something is deeply wrong. Everybody except Mary. This dude ain't even looking concerned. He just looks embarrassed at this point, like he's worried about what everybody thinks of him, not what Nikki is going through.

[00:14:31]That's the moment I realized the movie isn't really about a supernatural horror anymore. It's about selfishness. The curse is horrifying, but Bear's refusal to let go is just as horrifying. That's why I love this writing, bro. The choices are really carrying this movie.

[00:14:44]This movie is moving like a Life is Strange episode. Then they get back home and instead of trying to save Nikki, Bear literally tells Willow Nikki, "Can you just act like the real Nikki?" What?

[00:14:56]That's your solution? [ __ ] basically said, "Can you pretend harder? That might be the most disgusting line in the entire movie because it perfectly sums up Bear's character. He doesn't actually want Nikki. He just wants his crazy fantasy IRL. He built this perfect version of her in his head years ago.

[00:15:12]And now that reality refuses to match it, he'd rather force reality to change than let his fantasy die. And that's obsession. Title is cooking. Also, I'm talking really peak movieish going on around here. And that's where I think Curry Barker quietly flips the entire movie. Everybody walks into obsession thinking Nikki is going to become the monster. But the longer you watch, you realize Bear has been infected from the very beginning. By obsession, the Wish didn't create it. It exposed it. It was fake. I knew it. That's why the title works on multiple levels. Everybody in this movie is obsessed with something.

[00:15:48]Bear obsessed with Nikki. Willow Nikki obsessed with Bear. The audience became obsessed with arguing about Bear. And now I'm here making a whole video because I'm obsessed with how good this movie is. That's actually hilarious, boy. Then Willow Nikki completely crashes out. She starts screaming, moving in ways that makes absolutely no sense. She hits her little jig in and out of the light, casting the giant shadow across her face. Nah. Somebody in the cinematography department absolutely cooked because that's not an expensive shot. That's just good direction.

[00:16:19]Meanwhile, she gives this long speech about exactly what's going to happen if Bear leaves again. And suddenly, Bear realizes it. He's trapped, not because the doors are locked, because every bad decision he's made has finally caught up with him, and the walls are starting to close in. Now, this is where the movie goes from, "Bar, you better fix this to," brother, it might actually be too late because Sarah text him, tells him to meet her outside or she's coming in.

[00:16:44]And the second I saw that message, I knew she was cooked. I ain't even going to lie, there are certain horror movies where somebody says, "I'll be there in five." And you already know they're about to become a life lesson. This is one of them. Bear knows if Sarah walks inside that house, she's done for. So, he sneaks out while Willow Nikki is asleep. And for the first time in a while, the real Nikki manages to break through again. She whispers his name, stops him right in his tracks. And immediately, the entire vibe changes.

[00:17:13]Gone is the creepy smile. Gone is the obsessive personality. It's the real Nikki. She tells Bear Willow Nikki is asleep and that she only has a few seconds. And she says something that completely shattered me. Please end this. Imagine being trapped inside your own body, watching yourself hurt the people around you, knowing you're conscious for all of it, but you can't stop it. That's so horrifying, bro. That scene right there proves why this movie works, too. And then Bear somehow says the worst possible thing ever. What's so bad about being with me? At this point, I wish they would just pull a Ready or Not, and Bear just blows up. There is literally no way you're still making this about yourself. She's begging you to kill her. She's trapped inside her own body. And your response is basically, "But what's wrong with dating me, though?

[00:18:00]>> I [ __ ] in here."

[00:18:02]>> Nah. Lock in. Lock this man under the prison. Easily one of the biggest losers I've seen on screen in years. Even now, even after everything, he still wants somebody to choose him. Then Bear finally sneaks out to meet Sarah. And I'm sitting there screaming, "Get in the car, leave, go to Mexico, do something."

[00:18:22]But horror movie characters and common sense got permanent beef. They over here talking, trying to figure everything out. Then out of nowhere, Willow Nikki comes flying into frame, headbutts the driver's window, drops a brick on the steering wheel, and proceeds to absolutely destroy Sarah. I'm talking bashing her junk in smooth. Now, here's what pissed me off. Bear saw all of that. Every bit of it. He watched Willow Nikki sprint toward the car and this useless [ __ ] couldn't even yell, "Look out. She's on your left."

[00:18:52]>> Don't you SAY LEFT.

[00:18:53]>> COME ON.

[00:18:54]>> SOMETHING, BRO. Brother gave less communication than random teammates on Call of Duty. I was genuinely yelling at my TV. And after it's over, he helps move the body. Yeah, we're done here. At this point, you're the murderer, not Nikki. Bro, pack him up because that's another conscious decision. Nobody forced you to do that. And Curry doubled down on Bear's whole stick. Notice how he never suddenly turns Bear into some mastermind villain. [ __ ] is still a bum because real people don't usually wake up evil. They over here rationalizing one decision at a time, one excuse at a time until they become somebody they would have hated 6 months earlier.

[00:19:29]That's exactly what happens here. Every terrible thing Bear does, he finds a way to justify the junk. And that's probably the most realistic part of the entire movie. Then the guilt finally starts crushing him. He goes back to the shop, buys more One Wish Willows.

[00:19:43]>> You are so dumb. You are really dumb for real.

[00:19:46]>> Which is already hilarious, by the way.

[00:19:48]Imagine ruining your life with cursed magic than buying the DLC. This man really said maybe another cursed object will fix my cursed object.

[00:19:56]>> Yeah, this is big brain time.

[00:19:58]>> That logic deserves scientific study.

[00:20:01]Bro, his plan convince Ian to make a wish that solves everything. Now, on paper, that ain't absolutely the worst idea. Execution. Yeah. No. Bear has the explanation skills of a wild thornberry.

[00:20:14]This man leaves out literally every important detail. He basically walks up like, "Hey, can you make a wish?" Ian being a completely normal human being goes, "Sure, I wish for a billion dollars." Honestly, I'd probably do the same thing. You ain't explaining nothing. You just handed me a magical wish. Shoot, I'm going to get paid. Bear standing there cooked beyond belief, too. Use your words. This entire movie exists because you refuse to communicate. Literally at this point is actually impressive. Communication has been chasing Bear for 2 hours [music] and this man keeps breaking ankles.

[00:20:48]Meanwhile, back at the house, Willow Nikki has officially reached maximum instability. She's wearing Sarah's clothes, copying her tattoos, trying to literally become the last person standing between Bear and reality. And I'm just imagining Sarah spectating from heaven in disbelief. That whole sequence is deeply unsettling, too. She not becoming herself anymore. She's becoming whatever she thinks Bear wants. And underneath all the horror, then Ian shows up. Why are you here? This man really drove all the way over here just to flex on bro because his wish came true. Moving like the black man from that RDC skit.

[00:21:24]>> You got to understand, you can't be broke and buying Christian Diors.

[00:21:28]>> Like, imagine winning a billion dollars and the first thing you do is go push pee on your mans. Ian really pulled up ready to go band forban with anyone.

[00:21:37]Wrong house, wrong day, wrong horror movie. Ian, because Willow Nikki is absolutely not having it. The second Ian walks through that door, bang, one shot.

[00:21:47]No dramatic speech, no villain monologue. She just deletes this man from the lobby. And that's another thing Barker understands. Sometimes the scariest thing you can do is make something happen before the audience even has time to prepare. Ian dies so quickly your brain almost doesn't process it. You're sitting there like, "Hold on." Yep, that absolutely happened. And after watching his second friend die because of a decision he made, Bear finally decides he's had enough. Cut the show. I'm done. Sort of.

[00:22:15]Because this man runs into the bathroom, locks the door, and decides to despawn himself. Now, earlier when the operator told him the curse only lasted as long as he lived, I thought, "Okay, eventually he's going to realize this is the only way." But even here, notice why he's doing it. He doesn't feel heroic.

[00:22:33]He feels defeated like it's the only option he has left. He's not some selfless martyr. This [ __ ] just a lame.

[00:22:39]A lot of movies would have tried to redeem bear with one big heroic sacrifice, too. Obsession doesn't let him slide off that easy. One good decision doesn't erase two hours of terrible ones. [ __ ] that's life.

[00:22:50]Actions pile up. Consequences don't magically disappear because you finally did one right thing. So Bear swallows the pills, immediately regrets it, starts trying to throw them back up, and for one second, you think maybe, just maybe, he's going to survive. Then Barker hits you with one last twist.

[00:23:09]>> Oh, dick twist. [laughter] >> Those extra one wish Willows fall onto the floor and Willow Nikki picks it up just as we hear that wish chime like somebody done picked up a kill confirm tag in Call of Duty. and she quietly wishes for Bear to love her more than anyone else ever. Bro, that is absolutely insane because the entire movie just flipped back on itself.

[00:23:31]Everything Bear did to Nikki gets reflected back onto him. The curse literally comes full circle. For a brief second, Bear's completely fine, smiling, creepy, and junk. Exactly where he's always wanted to be. Then reality catches up. Them perks kick in and goodbye, my [ __ ] Back into the lobby.

[00:23:49]dies in Nikki's arm. And just like that, the spell breaks. The real Nikki finally comes back. And man, I'm not going to lie, that ending hurt because Nikki didn't win. And nobody was there for her this whole movie. She's really the one hold out of them all. Everybody dead.

[00:24:04]And Nikki survives, but survives with enough trauma to last five lifetimes.

[00:24:10]She definitely going to prison, too, cuz all the evidence points towards her.

[00:24:13]She's going to have to live knowing she watched all of this happen from inside her own body. And that's why this ending works so well. Nobody gets a clean reset. Everybody hold in this mug.

[00:24:23]Exactly like a horror movie should be.

[00:24:26]And honestly, that's what separates this junk from the rest. Bro, there's levels.

[00:24:30]Ironically, a movie called Obsession created one of the most obsessed fan bases I done seen in years, too. That's actually too hilarious. And honestly, for a dude who was uploading horror shorts to YouTube just a few years ago, that's one heck of a way to introduce yourself. Dear Lord, thank you for this amazing reach you've [music] blessed these videos to be able to obtain. Dear Lord, I just thank you for your grace and mercy that you've shown us on a daily basis, even when we don't deserve it. Dear Lord, hey JMF, thanks for all the support on the vids lately. We moving expeditiously. Make sure y'all like, comment, subscribe, and get ready for today's time with God. Dear Lord, thank you for this amazing reach you've blessed these videos to be able to obtain. We just thank you for your grace and mercy which you've shown to us on a daily basis even when we don't deserve it. Your love is boundless and this is nothing short of a blessing. Won't you just continue to increase as [music] as we decrease? Dear Lord, allow this prayer and these few words to be words of you and the era of your children.

[00:25:30]Dear Lord, also I want to pray for each and every person listening to this prayer and want you guys to know the Lord is with you always through thick and thin. Go to him with all your problems [music] and blessings. also allow his love to pour into your hearts so we can be a tree of life to another.

[00:25:45]In your name we pray. Amen.

[00:25:47]>> I see you.

[00:25:49]>> Juu Mafia hidden technique. E [music]