Wishin’ and Hopin’ (and Dyin’)

Obsession is a nifty little horror movie. Genuinely disturbing, and exhausting, it seems destined to become a midnight movie classic, if we still have that kind of thing anymore. That the film was made for a pittance (less than $1 million) and has just become the least expensive movie since 2009’s Paranormal Activity to top the box office is an obvious victory for buzzy little movies, and a hopeful sign that audience interest can still accrue somewhat naturally around a tiny film like this. Of course, it’s still 2026, so said film must almost inevitably be a horror film and some kind of conversation piece. But even as a conversation piece, and a distillation of a specific contemporary mood, Obsession makes good despite its limitations. For a few brief stretches of the film, I found myself frankly exhilarated, as I realized I was watching the rare horror film that could — for those moments — leap past the usual pressurized, claustrophobic world of contemporary horror into something unpredictable and (almost) out of control.