Obsession

For some reason, I found it even funnier this go around. Even moments I’m not positive were meant to get a laugh were tickling me. That scene before he tries to leave for work… so good An unfortunate consequence of Inde’s stellar performance is that Michael Johnston is getting overshadowed in the conversation. On my third rewatch that’s what really stuck out to me. Bear is an incredibly grounded and real character, will I be in trouble if I say I found him… relatable?  The discourse online surrounding this film is (as usual) insufferable but I’ve realized that I’m in the minority even with IRLs when I say I don’t find Bear irredeemably evil. If he consciously thought about robbing Nikki of her agency by cracking the Willow then I might agree. But he obviously breaks it mockingly while frustrated with himself for being a coward. Then Nikki acts fairly normal from what we see, until she feels like he pulls slightly away by confronting her about her father. Yes, him having sex with her afterwards is disturbing because as the audience we know from the beginning that the wish is real. But as the person in the story, Bear is still in denial and rationalizing her actions, at least that’s the way I see it. And would that not be a totally human thing to do? Under supernatural circumstances? That’s what I mean when I say it’s relatable. I just can’t help but feel bad for him. Even when she begs him to kill her, what would your immediate reaction be? To get a gun and shoot her? To shoot yourself? Probably not. Not to say he isn’t selfish and a coward. But that cowardice is part of what makes him feel like a real person, not wholly good or evil. People make the wrong choices especially under unusual and supernaturally stressful circumstances God, I love movies so much