Roee Dromi

Obsession is overwhelming. It's disturbing, disgusting, and tragic beyond belief. Regardless of budget, at 750k or even if it was 100m, Curry Barker created a modern horror masterpiece that uses every trick in the book to leave the audience itself absolutely obsessed, and it is truly one of a kind. Art with a villain protagonist is inherently intriguing, as we, as an audience, are bound to start the film looking at him with sympathy, empathy, and relatability, only for the illusion to slowly shatter as the film progresses and Bear keeps making awful choices that show his true, despicable self - and by the end it's clear that his death would be the best possible solution, if only it didn't happen too late. Some scenes in the film are outright soul-shattering, and do such a good job of villainising Bear and victimising Nikki, and for me it is especially the one where real Nikki begs Bear to kill her, hoping for just a glimpse of real care from whom she used to consider her best friend. Truth be told, very few films, and even fewer in the horror genre, get this emotionally overwhelming and heartbreaking, and I find that for all of its strengths, which it has in abundance, that exact thing is what elevates it to a whole different level, and this (with the elements of victims being trapped in their own body to be objectified and used by someone else) actually bears a lot of resemblance to "Get Out", and I find this comparison to be very fitting as both use horror as such a compelling metaphor for the real horrors people are put through in the real life applications that these scenarios represent. Another very important thing about it is that it's clear that it is simply a well-made movie through and through, one that was made with both incredible passion, but more presently, knowledge into the psyche of filmmaking that really leaves you speechless. If it's the otherworldly score by Rock Burwell is played at times in ways that are very clear and others that are very subtle, and yet in both instances it absolutely shines and elevates the film tremendously. The use of lighting, blocking, and effects is stellar, and it would be hard to believe it is the first feature film of those involved if I didn't already go through an unhealthy amount of the content on Curry Barker's YT channel. And the final thing, which I would be just another sheep mentioning it and yet I very clearly must, is the fact that Inde Navarette receiving anything less than an Academy Award nomination for this performance would be a crime against cinema. Her facial expressions, timing, and delivery are frankly the marks of a once-in-a-generation talent, and completely overshadow what is frankly also an absurd performance by Michael Johnston as Bear, which would be undoubtedly getting extreme praise if he wasn't paired with such a force of nature at his side. Both would be terribly wronged if they don't become huge, though, especially in Navarette's case, this seems very unlikely. It honestly took me many hours after watching to come up with this review, after I didn't go to sleep till 4 am cause frankly, I was both doomscrolling reels about the film and a bit scared too, and that didn't happen since I was a child. I don't remember when I last experienced a film that got such a visceral reaction out of me so many times, and on top of all of that was so incredibly deep, to the point of being something I could discuss for hours non-stop. Simply a masterpiece by every metric.