Be careful what you wish for. And whatever you do — don’t snap the One Wish Willow.
Let me start by saying something you need to fully understand before you read another word of this article: I am a horror aficionado. My favorite horror movies were born from the minds of Stephen King, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Alfred Hitchcock — the OG architects of fear who built the entire genre with their bare hands. My modern-day favorites? Mike Flanagan (Oculus, The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Fall of the House of Usher), Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, Nope) and James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious, Saw), three directors who have completely redefined what it means to be scared in a movie theater. I watch horror constantly. I sleep with the lights off and I don’t flinch easily. I am, in every sense of the word, built different when it comes to horror.
So when I tell you that Obsession — the new supernatural horror film from debut director Curry Barker, distributed by Focus Features and Blumhouse Productions — left me shooketh and deeply, profoundly unsettled for hours after leaving the theater, you need to understand the weight of that statement.
This movie has instantly risen into my personal horror ranks — and I don’t say that lightly. I went with a friend who was seeing it for his third time. His third. He kept going back because every viewing revealed something new — a detail he missed, a beat he hadn’t caught, a shadow in the background that had his skin crawling. That is the mark of a truly extraordinary film: the kind that rewards repeat viewings and punishes you with new horrors every single time. For me, it was my first time — and I was absolutely, completely, not even a little bit prepared.
Be Careful What You Wish For
Obsession follows Baron “Bear” Bailey (Michael Johnston), a hopeless romantic music store employee who buys a supernatural novelty toy — the “One Wish Willow” — from an occult shop and uses it to wish for his childhood friend and crush Nikki Freeman (Inde Navarrette) to love him more than anyone else in the world. The wish is granted. And then everything goes horribly, deliciously, terrifyingly wrong.
What starts as a seemingly sweet romantic premise spirals into one of the most psychologically disturbing, emotionally wrenching, darkly comedic horror experiences you will ever sit through. As Nikki’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and even violent, Bear learns that his wish may actually be an inescapable curse. And the film takes every opportunity to make sure you feel every ounce of that.
Let’s be honest — you’re probably thinking you’ve heard this one before. A supernatural wish gone wrong? A modern spin on W.W. Jacobs’ classic short story The Monkey’s Paw? Even The Simpsons famously parodied it in one of the most beloved Treehouse of Horror episodes ever. And you’re not wrong — director Curry Barker has openly shared that he got the idea for Obsession while rewatching that iconic Simpsons episode, where America’s favorite family makes wishes with the Monkey’s Paw. But here’s the thing: being inspired by a famous story and telling the same story are two very different things. What Barker does with that premise is entirely, disturbingly, brilliantly his own.
And none of it would land the way it does without the performances — starting with one that I genuinely cannot stop thinking about.
Inde Navarrette Is an Absolute Force of Nature
Let’s talk about what I am convinced is one of the best horror performances of the decade: Inde Navarrette delivers a showstopping, fearlessly committed comic-horror performance as Nikki that I genuinely cannot stop thinking about. Navarrette drew inspiration from other noteworthy horror performances like Toni Collette in Hereditary and Mia Goth in Pearl, but also from the “the gritty nature,” (People Magazine) Brittany Murphy brought to her role in Girl, Interrupted. The result is something entirely her own. Raw, terrifying, heartbreaking, and somehow also darkly hilarious. She is Nikki Freeman in a way that very few actors fully become a character.
And here’s the part that made my jaw drop: no CGI. Zero. One of the film’s scariest moments — where Nikki’s face appears distorted and nearly demonic in the shadows — was achieved through practical makeup effects inspired by the “uncanny valley makeup” trend from TikTok, which made Navarrette’s features look subtly inhuman without relying on digital effects. The makeup artist on this film deserves every award that exists. The result is deeply, profoundly wrong in all the right ways — and knowing it’s all done practically makes it even more terrifying.
A $750,000 Film That Grossed $225 Million (and Counting!) is One of the Best New Scary Movies
Made on just a $750,000 budget, Obsession sold to Focus Features for over $15 million after a bidding war, and has since grossed $225 million worldwide. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Midnight Madness section, screened at SXSW, and arrived in theaters on May 15, 2026 — and has been haunting audiences ever since. It currently holds a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. As it should.
I watch horror every single day. New scary movies drop constantly and most of them don’t do much for me anymore. But Obsession reminded me why I fell in love with horror in the first place — that specific, electric feeling of being genuinely unsettled by something you can’t quite name. Not just jump scares. Not just gore. But dread. Psychological dread that sits in your chest long after the credits roll.
Obsession is one of the best new scary movies out now. Go See it. Go with a friend, get ready for an intense conversation afterward, and maybe think twice before buying anything at a crystal shop that promises to grant your deepest desire.
Is the One Wish Willow Real?
Now for the question everyone is asking after they see this film: is the One Wish Willow real? The toy itself is fictional — but the occult shop where Bear purchases it absolutely is not. The Green Man is a very real, very mystical supply shop in Burbank, and I have been there several times. It is exactly as magical and mysterious as it looks on screen.
Here’s where it gets deeply personal — and a little bit cosmic. When I saw Obsession, I was wearing a crystal mermaid necklace that I had custom made for me at The Green Man. In the middle of one of the most unsettling scenes in the entire film, I looked down at it and nearly lost my mind completely. The universe was speaking, and I was listening.
Oh — and one more thing. The Green Man actually sells One Wish Willows. Yes, really. You have been warned.
If you happen to stop by The Green Man in Burbank, say hi for me. I’ll be the one in the crystal mermaid necklace — standing very, very far away from the One Wish Willow display.
And if you’re wondering how many days until Halloween — Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday, October 31, which is about 146 days away. You have plenty of time to see Obsession multiple times before then. And trust me, you will want to. Something tells me we are also going to be seeing a lot of Nikkis running around on October 31st — looking and acting very, very crazy. Consider this your early costume inspo.
For more horror recommendations, LA events, and the best things to do in Los Angeles, stay tuned to hoopLA — where we cover the best, the boldest, and yes, the most terrifying things this city has to offer.
