Obsession
As someone who has watched terrifier and the substance, this is by far the most disturbing and disgusting movie of them all. I heard people laughing at nikkis behavior at the cinema. How can be people giggling at ts? Even more, how can people have ANY kind of sympathy towards bear? He’s like the best example of what women mean when they say they prefer to be stuck in the woods with a bear instead of a man (btw really ironic name choice). Bear, even knowing that nikki “was troubled” (and possibly knowing that it was not her and that it was against her will too) CHOSE to take advantage of her.
Having that in mind, its really interesting how everything that you perceive about the plot of the movie its about the power of choice. Bear chose that wish. When he figured out that it was probably a bad idea and was affecting negatively >him< (not nikki) he chose to alter, not cancel, alter his wish to his liking. When that didnt work, then he tried to cancel it. Everything just to hold the power of choice over nikkis life, the unconsensual power. Speaking of consent, he knew damn well that she didn’t want it. Plus, everyone around him was actively pointing it out and showing how it’s problematic. He knows what he was doing and thats why it was such a coward and selfish move for him to kill himself. He deserves worse. Way worse