Obsession, a queer horror film, earned over $23 million at the box office and gained enough positive word-of-mouth to be labeled the highest-rated horror movie of 2026. The story follows Bear, a lovesick coworker who makes a wish that Nikki would love him more than anyone else. The wish is granted too literally, causing Nikki to become intensely devoted and lose her sense of self. The film turns unsettling quickly, with audiences praising Inde Navarrette’s performance for swinging between loving devotion and total unhinged behavior. Michael Johnston plays Bear as quieter but complex, showing how easily someone can ignore warning signs and deny a woman’s agency when it benefits him.
"Obsession scared up over $23 million at the box office, making it a proper indie hit, with enough positive word-of-mouth to earn the title of " the highest-rated horror movie of 2026." How about we take this to the next level? Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy."
"The directorial debut of YouTube phenomenon Curry Barker, it follows a lovesick young man named Bear (Michael Johnston) who, tired of being friend-zoned, makes a wish on a silly gift shop tchotchke that his coworker Nikki (Inde Navarrette) would love him more than anyone else in the world. Unfortunately for him-and even more unfortunate for Nikki-that wish is magically granted a bit too literally, as Nikki becomes so intensely devoted that she loses all sense of self."
"Almost immediately, audiences began singling on Navarrette's brilliant performance, calling for her to be recognized at the Oscars much in the way Amy Madigan was for last year's Weapons. Frequently swinging between lovingly devoted and totally unhinged at a moment's notice, it's genuinely astounding work that should make her a star & become the stuff of horror movie legend for years to come."
"Next to her delightfully demonic portrayal, Johnston's Bear is a quieter role, yet a deceptively complex one: Before things spiral out of control, he's all too willing to go along with the fantasy, ignoring the signs that something's very wrong and showing us how all-too-easy it is for even the "good" straight guys out there to deny a woman's agency so long as it serves their needs."
Read at Queerty
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