A FriedReads Review of the Year's Most Overhyped Horror Film

Obsession: The Mid Movie That Everyone Lost Their Minds Over 🧱😐

A FriedReads Review of the Year's Most Overhyped Horror Film

July 2026

Let me tell you about the movie that broke the internet and somehow left me completely unmoved.

I saw the hype. I saw the praise. I saw everyone losing their collective minds over Obsession. And I didn't care. I figured it was just another horror movie that would scare people who don't watch horror movies. I wasn't interested.

Then, one night a few months later, I was bored. An hour and a half runtime. Not bad. I pressed play.

And I have to say... not scary.

Not scary at all.

What's scary about a chick that's obsessed with you? Honestly, I don't know if I should be aroused or terrified while watching a few of those scenes. The movie couldn't decide either.

THE SETUP (Because You've Been Living Under a Rock)

For those who somehow missed the cultural phenomenon, Obsession is about Bear, a shy music store employee who's been in love with his childhood friend Nikki for years. He's too much of a coward to tell her, so he buys a gag gift called a "One Wish Willow" — a mystical twig that grants one wish. He wishes that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world.

Spoiler alert: it works.

But not in a good way. Nikki becomes obsessively, terrifyingly, murderously in love with him. She cooks and serves him his own recently deceased cat. She murders their mutual friend Sarah. She's about to shoot Bear and herself before Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) bursts in and gets himself shot in the head for his trouble.

The film made over $400 million worldwide on a $750,000 budget. It's a phenomenal success story, especially for a 26-year-old YouTuber making his feature debut.

And I thought it was... fine.

THE GOOD — What the Movie Actually Does Well

Let me be fair. There are things the movie does well.

The Acting:

Michael Johnston (Bear) does a solid job playing a deeply unlikable protagonist. Inde Navarrette (Nikki) is genuinely captivating — she's the heart of the movie, cycling between vulnerability and psychosis. She does a great job of making you feel both sorry for and terrified of her.

The Concept:

The idea of a wish that turns a woman into a literal monster who can't stop loving someone is a genuinely creative twist on the "be careful what you wish for" trope. It deconstructs the romantic fantasy of winning someone's love and reveals the ugly entitlement underneath.

The Execution:

The movie is competently made. The cinematography uses shadows and claustrophobic framing effectively. The gradual erosion of Nikki's identity is unsettling. The ending, where Nikki is left alive to deal with the carnage Bear caused, is a fitting conclusion.

The Cat Theory:

One popular interpretation is that Nikki is actually possessed by the spirit of Bear's recently deceased cat. Her movements become predatory. Her obsessive attachment resembles territorial fixation. She appears in spaces with sudden, feline grace.

I love this theory. It makes the movie more interesting. But the movie doesn't confirm it. And leaving it ambiguous is a smart choice.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD — Why I Wasn't Scared

Now for the part everyone will hate me for.

It Wasn't Scary.

I'm sorry. It just wasn't. The movie has a few jump scares, sure. And I jumped at them. Because they're jump scares. A puppy can jump scare you. That doesn't make it scary. It means you have a human nervous system.

The movie relies on jump scares more than genuine dread. The critic from Movie Deputy Reviews agreed — he said "It has one really good jump scare... but if you're like a normal moviegoer, if you don't watch horror movies very often, this one is probably gonna be a terrifying experience for you." That's the key. It's a "scary movie" for people who don't watch scary movies.

The New York Times review essentially said "It was fine." That's not exactly a ringing endorsement.

The Characters Were Forgettable:

I didn't care about anyone in this movie. Bear is an unlikable coward who deserves what's coming to him. Nikki is a victim, but we don't really know her before the wish. Sarah and Ian exist to get murdered. There's no one to root for.

The movie's defenders will say this is the point — Bear is the real villain, Nikki is the victim. That's true. But it doesn't make the movie more entertaining to watch. A movie can have a message and still be boring.

The Hype Killed the Experience:

This is the biggest problem. Everyone told me this was the scariest, most unsettling movie of the year. I went in expecting something revolutionary. I got a solid B- horror film.

It's hard to be scared when you've heard "YOU'LL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN" a thousand times and then... you sleep fine.

THE SARAH DEATH SCENE — A Case Study in Overhyped Moments

Let me talk about the scene everyone lost their minds over.

Sarah's death. The big one. The scene that made audiences scream.

I was watching it. I knew it was coming. I was like, "BEAR! ARE YOU STUPID? NIKKI IS GOING TO KILL HER!"

And holy cow, who would have guessed, Nikki comes in guns blazing and kills Sarah.

Now, the initial attack did make me jump. It was a jumpscare. I'm not a robot.

And then I noticed the weapon. The brick.

Nikki was using a brick.

I burst out laughing.

"WHERE DID SHE GET THAT BRICK?!" I yelled at my screen. "WHERE DID THE BRICK COME FROM?!"

The scene is meant to be horrifying, but all I could think about was the logistics of the brick. Did she have it in her bag? Was it just sitting there conveniently? Was it a prop brick? Did she bring it specifically for murder purposes?

I laughed so hard. The movie's most iconic kill, and I was wheezing over the absurdity of the brick.

The Indian Cut:

Apparently, this scene was cut by the Indian censor board. They removed 24 seconds of "extreme violence." The full version shows Sarah's face being smashed repeatedly. The Indian version just shows the aftermath.

I saw the Indian cut. I had no idea about the brick until I read about it later. Even then, when I saw it, the brick was still ridiculous.

THE DEEPER MEANING — The Interpretation That Makes It Interesting

Okay, here's the part where I give the movie credit.

Obsession works better as a metaphor than a horror film.

The Cat Theory:

One popular interpretation is that Nikki is actually possessed by the spirit of Bear's recently deceased cat. Her movements become predatory. Her obsessive attachment resembles territorial fixation. She appears in spaces with sudden, feline grace.

I love this theory. It makes the movie more interesting. But the movie doesn't confirm it. And leaving it ambiguous is a smart choice.

The Entitlement Critique:

But the clearest reading of the film is about male entitlement. Bear is the real villain. His unrequited love isn't just sad; it's possessive. He wants to control Nikki's affection. The wish is just a metaphor for the way men sometimes try to coerce, manipulate, or demand affection from women.

The most haunting moment is when the real Nikki breaks through and begs Bear to kill her. Bear's response? "What's so wrong with being with me?"

He doesn't see her pain. He sees her rejection of him. That's the real horror.

The Film's Critics Miss the Point:

The movie's defenders say the film is about "control, consent, and autonomy." I agree. And I appreciate the commentary. But a good message doesn't automatically make a good movie.

THE VERDICT — 6.5/10

Obsession is a solid, competent horror film that has been elevated to legendary status by hype.

It's not scary (unless you rarely watch horror). It's not groundbreaking (the "be careful what you wish for" trope is older than dirt). It's not even that memorable (I forgot half of it by the next day).

But it's also not bad. The acting is good. The concept is interesting. The execution is competent.

The Problem Is the Hype:

If I'd watched this movie on a random Tuesday without hearing a single thing about it, I'd probably say, "Hey, that was pretty good. Not great, but a solid horror film."

Instead, I heard "BEST HORROR FILM OF THE YEAR!" and "TERRIFYING!" and "GAME-CHANGING!" and I got a movie that made me laugh at a brick.

That's not the movie's fault. That's the culture.

THE SCORE BREAKDOWN

Overall: 6.5/10

THE FINAL WORD

Obsession is a solid B-movie that got A-list hype. It's not the scariest movie of the year. It's not the best horror film of the decade. It's not even the most interesting movie about a wish gone wrong.

It's a solid, competent horror film that benefits from incredible performances and a genuinely clever concept. But it's also a film that relies too much on jump scares, forgettable characters, and a brick that made me laugh harder than I should have.

If you haven't seen it yet, watch it. Enjoy it. Just don't expect to lose sleep over it.

And if you start laughing at the brick, don't say I didn't warn you.

🧱😐

Allen FriedReads.com | Still laughing about the brick. Still not scared. July 2026