If there were one word one could associate with the horror-breakthrough Obsession, it would be consistent.

Consistent in originality and unexpectedness. Consistent in tone that balances intriguing horror and absurdity, yet perfectly timed bits of comedy. Consistent in the Twilight Zone-ish, far-fetched nature of its premise. Consistent with the spirit of independent cinema.

Back in 1991, Francis Ford Coppola predicted that — and I quote (from the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse): “One day, some little fat girl in Ohio is going to be the new Mozart of a good movie, and the so-called professionalism will be destroyed, forever, and it will really become an art form.”

Obsession is the film Coppola was talking about. Written, edited and directed by a young YouTube filmmaker — the 26-year-old Curry Barker — whose experience was largely made up of skits and shorts; produced for less than $750,000; picked up by a major studio (Focus Features) for $15 million; and making (as of the time of this writing) $332 million worldwide. It will, perhaps, open the floodgates for aspiring filmmakers from YouTube who want to make films but end up making shorts and spec advertisements, doing corporate documentary work or editing someone else’s YouTube videos. It is a film that will make careers for everyone involved.

Obsession is the Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity of the internet generation

Obsession is the Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity of the internet generation, delivered in the off-kilter, independent-minded style of the Hollywood studio A24 (this generation’s Miramax, if you will).

It is a film that delivers solid storytelling and proves that one doesn’t need big budgets or big-name stars to make the audience take notice… though a few tens of millions in marketing didn’t hurt I am assuming (the film wouldn’t have gotten this big without the big publicity spend).

The genre choice is trendy. A horror that banks more on the supernatural, ambience and disturbing bits of dark comedy than out-and-out horror.

The premise isn’t that original — an inspiration springing from The Simpsons’Treehouse of Horror II (Lisa’s monkey’s paw segment), which itself is a homage to The Twilight Zone.

More than The Simpsons, though, the premise comes from a ’60s Twilight Zone episode, The Chaser. In it, a man, desperate to get the girl who doesn’t reciprocate his affections, gives her a love potion that makes him her ‘obsession’. In Obsession, the love potion and the light-heartedness get replaced.

Baron ‘Bear’ Bailey (Michael Johnston, quite good), a perpetually afraid, socially awkward, wimpy music store employee, fancies his co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette, excellent), and buys a novelty toy that claims to grant one wish per person. What he — and the audience — don’t foresee is the psychological after-effects of the ‘magic’. The divide between Nikki’s soul and her fractured present state makes for a fascinating watch though, by the end, the film takes the easy way out for both characters.

Unlike The Companion — another must-watch horror film — Obsession is very aware of its lack of budget, and chooses to keep the film contained to a bare minimum number of locations and actors. But chances are that most of the film’s audience won’t notice it because of Barker’s really steady, surprisingly assured hand as a filmmaker.

Now that he, his YouTube origins, and the film have gained notoriety, chances are things will get easier for hundreds — if not thousands — of internet-only filmmakers. I just pray that a significant percentage of these young filmmakers do not make horror their go-to genre.

Released by Focus Features and HKC (in Pakistan), Obsession is rated “A”. It is adults-only for a reason

The writer is Icon’s primary film reviewer

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 28th, 2026