You Can't Blame a Woman for Becoming the Villain You Created

The cautionary tale of 'Obsession'

‘Obsession’ is more than just a horror film - It’s a social commentary on the gender imbalance in modern dating. The film follows Bear, an insecure man, infatuated by his co-worker Nikki. We watch as he sheepishly bails out of his plan to ask her out, before snapping a ‘One Wish Willow’ trinket in an attempt to curse Nikki into falling in love with him. Despite initially viewing the cursed fictional trinket as novelty, he continues to cast Nikki under his spell, to provide himself with the gratification he is unable to provide for himself. Nikki slowly mutates into an unhinged, clingy version of herself, existing solely to grant Bear with the unconditional validation he wished for.

Throughout the film, Nikki begins to exhibit animalistic behaviours, devoting every ounce of energy into her love for Bear. Whilst the real Nikki, once fulfilled within her own autonomy, is now trapped beneath the curse. The themes of horror within the film are explored through the repercussions of Bear’s selfishness, rather than the stereotypical traits of jump scares and gore. Although there’s elements of Nikki’s character which would typically deceive the audience into viewing her as a villain, she displays this distortion as a result of being stripped of all boundaries and autonomy. Bear had created a villain out of a woman once harmless, and refused to take accountability for her murderous actions. The Nikki we see smeared in blood, is a woman deprived of all sanity, in an attempt to ground a man lacking the emotional intelligence to support himself.

An insecure man is bereft of the capacity to love someone. Bear lived vicariously through his fascination with Nikki, ultimately leading to her possession. The theme of ‘obsession’ is centralised through Bear’s continuous efforts to maintain a ‘normal’ relationship with her. Once corrupted through his wish, Bear fails to seek restoration, and rather alteration in the weight of the love he had once yearned for. The Nikki we see at the beginning of the film, previously self sufficient and unamused by Bear’s admiration towards her, was irrelevant to him. He only viewed her as the fantasy he had created in his head, in pursuit of receiving affection.

Nikki’s ‘wish’ state is a manifestation of his own desires, spiralling out of control in reflection of his own infatuation. He watches in horror as she cuts herself with shards of glass, bewildered by the monster he has created. After withdrawing her sense of self control, she begins to express internal conflict through erratic behaviours, neglected by Bear’s inability to source empathy for anyone but himself. He views himself as the victim of his own narcissism, and fails to humanise the version of Nikki that he has created. After researching the ‘one wish willow’, and realising that Nikki is trapped beneath the surface of a monster, he overlooks the opportunity to save her. The real Nikki is imprisoned in a state of obsession, consumed by emotions she is without the conscious to navigate.

Bear’s interest in Nikki is hurled back at him with consequences. This guttural obsession is no longer encouraged once it’s viewed from an outside perspective. The monstrous traits he once had, are unleashed in their physicalities, through the possession of Nikki. Despite becoming aware of the repercussions of his own desires, Bear remains entangled in his own search for validation. He doesn’t recognise the ludicrousness of his love for Nikki, but instead, victimises himself and disregards his own traits in which she personifies.

The theme of consent is frequently examined throughout the film, evident in Bear’s choice to have sex with Nikki during their turbulent relationship. At times, we watch as Nikki performs these acts whilst appearing soulless, her expressions and her body completely motionless. Her true self, stripped of her ability to voluntarily consent, is ignored. He chooses not to view Nikki as the woman she truly is, because the vessel she is trapped within is the only version of herself which is compelled to be intimate with him. She periodically breaks through this curse, in violent outbursts of self harm, in which he fails to reconcile with his own actions.

Despite becoming a bystander to the abuse he has perpetuated, Bear doesn’t reflect on his lust with regret, but with his own logic. In an attempt to tone down Nikki’s irrational displays of love, he attempts to alter the curse, rather than reverse it. He would rather fail at his own efforts, knowing that Nikki can only revert back to her true self following his own death, than live without her validation. His previous state of remaining unmagnetised, evokes more horror than Nikki’s current state of obsession. An insecure man will not inconvenience himself out of love for his partner. Bear weaponises his lust by labelling himself as the ‘nice guy’ and watching the consequences of his inadequacy unfold, without taking accountability for the hardships he has proposed for himself, as well as Nikki.

There is no happy ending to the story. Bear overdoses on pills as a last resort to save himself from the brutalities of Nikki’s love for him. Nikki’s consciousness finally reemerges, permanently removing the dominant ‘wish’ version of herself she became trapped within. We watch as Nikki lets out guttural cries, traumatised by the sight of Bear lying dead on the living room floor. Now just a friend, Bear has left Nikki with the ramifications of his selfish desires. Nikki is our final girl, but at what cost?