Curry Barker's journey from creating viral videos on YouTube to directing feature films is an impressive Hollywood success story, and Kane Parsons’ **BACKROOMS**, coming out for A24 later this month, seems like another sign that the path from online popularity to mainstream cinema—though still uncommon—can be incredibly rewarding. The huge popularity of Barker's [**MILK & SERIAL** (2024)](https://letterboxd.com/fixateandbinge/film/milk-serial/) demonstrated significant promise and a knack for making low-budget horror movies, which made his move to the big screen feel like a deserved advancement. In **OBSESSION**, Barker has created a psychological horror film that unfolds slowly, gradually building toward its startling ending. Although the measured pace sometimes tried my patience, once Barker’s story is fully revealed, it gets under your skin in ways few recent horror films have—raising deeply unsettling questions about permission and personal control, and maybe even giving you pause before blowing out candles on a birthday cake. **OBSESSION** begins with what seems like a normal situation, focusing on Bear (Michael Johnston), who desperately wants to move past being just friends with Nikki (Inde Navarrette). After finding a novelty “One Wish Willow” in a shop selling spiritual items—something that would fit right in next to the Zoltar machine from BIG (1988)—Bear makes a wish without realizing the frightening power he’s triggered. With encouragement from his friend Ian (Cooper Tomlinson, who often works with Barker), Bear initially seems to get everything he wants when Nikki suddenly becomes interested in him romantically. However, things quickly go wrong as Bear's dream of happily ever after turns into a nightmare when Nikki’s possessiveness grows increasingly extreme. Navarrette gives a frightening performance that recalls **FATAL ATTRACTION** and **SINGLE, WHITE, FEMALE**, adding layers of psychological distress related to her loss of control over her own body. Featuring shocking moments of fear, expertly maintained suspense, disturbing visuals, and a brave performance from Navarrette, **OBSESSION** is among the best horror films released this year.

Source on TMDB