Obsession

*unlike anything I’ve ever* experienced. Be CAREFUL what you wish for *meets, there’s power in the tongue.* * * Last night I had the privilege of seeing this in theaters, & it genuinely floored me. I consider myself a devout horror fan, there’s not many horror movies that manage to get a visceral reaction out of me—but this was different. I found myself completely bound to the screen. From start to finish, I was held captive, too petrified to look away & miss out on something, but also unsettled to my core, I had to restrain myself to keep watching. it was utterly nauseating. Bear *-Now I’ve been seeing a lot of discourse about his character, if he “deserved” what happened, & people villainizing him…as much as I hate EVER sticking up for a man, (especially a cishet white man) & while he is definitely flawed*..I found his character incredibly interesting. Obviously oblivious, shy, & reserved with a very grounding sense of potentially lacking self worth & the mediocrity of being well in your 20 something’s**, I find Bear to be quite human. He took a chance in the metaphysically unknown, (modeled immediately after his own self-imposed failure) not knowing his words held so much power. It’s to a certain extent childlike naivety but also wrapped into that “I’m such a loser” & “it’s a long shot” never thinking for a second that all of this could’ve been avoided if he just had enough of a backbone in explaining what he wants. He ignores all of Nikki’s red flags after making the wish, & consistently lives in delusion to uplift his own self worth & revels at the idea of his crush liking him back..the scene after Ian calls at the restaurant & explains Nikki’s been lying—to that immediate cut scene to them being intimate, I felt sick. Yet overall it’s weird because while I know some of his actions are irredeemable, I can’t help but find him to have so much nuance, & complexity. This is my red flag 100%. I will always love complex characters in media, & for that I’m insufferable, sorry. Nikki -Oh my heart breaks for Nikki. Truly. Completely stripped of her individuality & freedom. Bound & tethered to Bear, without choice, & only direction. Left with nothing but the shell of herself, & a sliver of her conscience; it’s tragic. It reminds me so much of “Jennifer’s Body” in that way—how both women were pawns in others self serving manifestations, stripped of their humanity, & in the end FUCKS shit up beyond repair. Nikki loses her identity within bear, her entire existence begins to attach itself to him..she’s nothing outside of him. A twisted lovesick puppy, his plaything. Of course we can imagine that Bear thinks it’s love (at first), but as viewers we know (their dynamic) it’s bondage. I found the scenes of her fighting back & flipping within her own body to be some of the best acting I’ve seen in a while. She has no control, just existing as a passenger while this, manifestation-turned-borderline-entity, inhabits her. In the scene of Bear going to work as she waited there, in the same spot, with the same facial expression for what felt like centuries (*I got flashbacks to the final 8 minute monologue from Mia Goth’s, PEARL) like “cmonnn Inde [Nikki] I see you reheating pearl’s nachos”.. I was enamored by her unwavering devotion. It was unlike anything I’ve seen—she felt soulless. Empty. (BPD GIRLS [me] GON HAVE A FIELD DAY WITH THIS ONE) I can confidently say the performances from both our lead actors was terrifying & gut wrenching.* Just know all of this to say this was one of the most, daunting & sickly, stress inducing films I have ever seen. It will have a lasting effect on me, & I AM DYINGGGGGGG to see this again. The biggest plot twist of this for me, is the title being truly how I feel about it after watching. I’m obsessed. #profile