Nikki, the free-spirited protagonist of Curry Barker's supernatural horror film Obsession, becomes the target of a dangerous wish made by her shy friend Bear. As the film unfolds, her love for Bear spirals into something violent, possessive, and terrifying. This transformation is grounded by Inde Navarrette's fearless performance, which has quickly positioned her as one of horror's most exciting new talents. The film's impact also comes from Barker's fresh voice as a writer-director, with Obsession receiving critical acclaim and a significant budget increase post-premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Navarrette's chemistry with Michael Johnston, who plays Bear, is central to the film's success. Their connection felt immediate, and the responses they conveyed on screen added depth and meaning to the lines they delivered. The relationship between Nikki and Bear is complicated and confusing, with Nikki sending mixed signals and Bear downplaying his feelings. If Bear had been honest from the start, Navarrette believes Nikki might have been open to something more.
Nikki's physicality in the film is unpredictable, sometimes terrifying, and even reminiscent of classic possession performances like The Exorcist. Navarrette's movement was built from scratch with Curry Barker, creating an organic and visceral performance. Her voice work and facial expressions are unsettling, especially in scenes like the party sequence, where she uses her screams and vocal shifts to make the audience uncomfortable.
The moment where Nikki appears asleep but Bear hears her tell him to kill her is a pivotal scene. Navarrette interprets this as Nikki breaking through, with her body convulsing and trembling to show the physical anxiety. As the film progresses, Nikki becomes more violent, and Navarrette explores the dichotomy of her character, with Nikki always at a 10 from the second act on. The violence is not driven by resentment but by the heightened versions of love and obsession.
The film's third act is intense, and the TIFF cut was even more graphic before some material was removed to avoid an NC-17 rating. The original version included more graphic scenes, such as the aftermath of Nikki's violent acts, which were eventually downsized for an R rating. The ending, where Bear sacrifices himself to undo the wish, was a release for Navarrette, as she got to express the full range of Nikki's emotions.
Navarrette's performance has been praised as one of the great horror performances, and she looks up to horror icons like Megan Fox in Jennifer's Body and Mia Goth. She believes Nikki starts a grieving process after her traumatic experiences, and while her future is left open-ended, she would love to revisit the world for a sequel.
