Inde Navarrette and Curry Barker's Obsession (2026) - Review [No Spoilers]
Best horror I have ever seen.
Inde Navarrette delivered an Oscar-level performance. Watching her go from fear to joy, anger and despair so suddenly was stunning.
Curry Barker's cameo appearance was particularly memorable. Although I was sceptical at first when I heard about a director having a role in his own movie, because I expected a control freak who wouldn't give up on his vision and wouldn't trust any actor to perform it. My prejudice was completely wrong. His role is a phone guy explaining to our protagonist how this universe works. He shows us the boundaries and consequences. He does it with such a laid-back attitude that the viewers don't feel stupid.
I am so grateful that they stuck to the well-known, classical demonic/curse themes. I hate when writers try to reinvent the wheel and change some well-established mechanics e.g. how to dispel a curse. Instead of changing the pillars they came up with a new subject and put the focus on other things. The balance between explaining lore and keeping secrets is perfect. I wish some aspects were depicted less ambiguously as well as the beginning had been longer with some more backstory, but I see a lot of potential pitfalls in doing so. It could destroy the pacing that was impeccable.
The meaning of this movie is particularly important when some groups build their identity on wishful thinking and resentment. Actions have consequences. That's it. It warns us about wishing for something without seeing the big picture or considering its moral implications.
I really like the fact that if you paid attention you could see an upcoming jumpscare. I think the goal of the film was not to make you scared, but to evoke insecurity and awkwardness.
I liked the editing and music, specifically their subtlety. I think they packed in a lot of tiny cues. I spotted a few small mistakes during the runtime of the movie but they didn't break my immersion.
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