It's no surprise that after the unexpected success of A24's 'Talk to Me' (2023) and Kane Parson's 'Backrooms' (2026) the general public is showing admiration for films written by former/current YouTubers. This time around, Curry Barker - from sketch comedy series 'that's a bad idea' is garnering mainstream appeal after the release of his new horror film 'Obsession.' We watched it, and here is the good, and the bad - without spoilers. 

To be truthful, my hopes for this movies success - both domestically and internationally - were somewhat lowered after newfound knowledge of who would be directing the film. As a longtime viewer (and fan) of 'that's a bad idea,' I was both intrigued and skeptical on how Barker was going to pull off a complete switch; one that inhabited moving away from satire and sketch comedy, to psychological horror and gore! Few have seen deep success doing this, Jordan Peele being the most notable of the bunch. 

But nevertheless, I wanted to keep an open mind and view the film in a vacuum, as a viewer, sort of pretending to have never before seen Barker's work. And to be completely honest - I was shocked. Barker is nothing short of a storytelling genius - the film is not only told beautifully, but it is also accompanied by rich visuals and sharp cinematography, a breathtaking score, and an abundance of nostalgic colors and vibrant grading throughout. So on a mere surface level; the film is gorgeous to look at, simply.

It also denies the use of typical horror tropes and clichés, and strays away from predictability at every moment. Even when it does indulge in classic references, it remains self aware and gets creative with how the characters respond and interact with them. This goes hand in hand with performances from Michael Johnston as "Bear" and Inde Navarrette as "Nikki," who, in my opinion, deserve Oscar nominations for their extremely brutal and convincing exhibitions throughout the film. 

Albeit, there are some moments in the film where viewers may have to temporarily suspend their plot belief in order to immerse themselves fully, but beyond that, I can't seem to find more criticisms. A lot more can be said in detail, believe me I wish to dwell on this film for much longer - but I want to leave the plot synopsis out. I encourage everyone to rush to the theatres, horror fan or not, because I have a feeling 'Obsession' will be an impressive new forward for future films of the genre; one that will positively influence 2026's storytelling completely and fully.