Obsession, the new horror film from YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Curry Barker, is like Get Out for “nice guys”. Using the classic monkey’s paw trope, it’s a funny, disturbing, and highly entertaining story with stellar performances and a surprisingly impactful message about male entitlement, mutual consent, and female autonomy.

Bear (Michael Johnston) is a “nice guy” with a major crush on his co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette), but he’s too nervous to tell her how he feels. After purchasing what he thinks is a novelty toy, the One Wish Willow, he wishes that Nikki would love him more than anyone in the world. He’s shocked to discover that his wish has come true, and of course, everything seems great until the grave consequences begin.

Johnston is perfect as the seemingly timid “hopeless romantic” that we’re often told to root for in fiction. He truly believes he loves Nikki, that he’s the right guy for her and that she could be the perfect girlfriend for him. As the story unfolds, we start to see how much of that love is actually about control and unhealthy codependence. 

This is further highlighted by Navarrette, who gives one of the best performances of the year as Nikki. Her behavior goes from adoring girlfriend to dangerously unhinged, giving us glimpses of the real Nikki imprisoned in her own body by the curse of Bear’s wish. It’s horrifying one minute, hilarious in another, and tragic in a way that makes the film linger with you emotionally.

Obsession does a masterful job of juggling tension and humor, something attempted less successfully in The Monkey, a film with a similar concept and much clunkier execution. Just as Obsession reaches peak discomfort, it allows us the catharsis of a laugh—often through how absurdly fucked up the situation seems. 

In one scene, Bear calls the customer service line on the back of the One Wish Willow box only to be met with a hilariously apathetic response and a reminder that this whole thing is entirely his fault. It’s a great way of emphasizing the larger themes through humor instead of feeling too preachy or melodramatic.

The film doesn’t rely on shocking gore to engage the audience. While there are some very bloody and horrifying moments, including the death of a cat, the uneasiness and upsetting vibes come from the story rather than cheap scares.

Like Jordan Peele or Zach Cregger, with Obsession Barker is a great example of when a fresh filmmaker with a good idea is allowed to run with it. It’s no surprise that so many of these new voices are coming to us through horror, a genre where budgets can remain small and great films can make a significant cultural impact.