The Twenty-Six-Year-Old Behind "Obsession," a Terrifying Tale of a Crush Gone Awry

"The film opens with its shy, sensitive twentysomething protagonist, Bear, struggling to confess his feelings for his childhood friend, Nikki. Their relationship is full of banter and, so far, strictly platonic; he's smitten and terrified of ruining everything. He stumbles upon an old novelty toy called the One Wish Willow, which promises its user whatever they desire, and, after failing to admit his crush, impulsively wishes for Nikki to love him "more than anyone in the fucking world." He gets what he wants."

"Unfortunately for Bear, this is, in fact, a horror movie. During their first night together, just for an instant, Nikki appears to "glitch," jerking back mid-kiss and looking at him with blind panic instead of undying affection. Her behavior gets stranger from there. Whether the person he's with is really "her"-and how much that distinction matters to him-becomes a question of increasing urgency."

"When "Obsession" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, Barker was twenty-five, and best known as a purveyor of comic sketches and horror shorts. (His offerings in both arenas can be equally disturbing.) "I can pinpoint the moment my life changed," he said, of the midnight screening. "I woke up the next morning to this flood of texts and missed calls.""

"A twenty-four-hour bidding war culminated in the film being sold to Focus Features for fifteen million dollars-the highest price commanded by a genre movie in TIFF history. Jason Blum, the producer of such hits as "Get Out" and "Paranormal Activity," came onboard "Obsession" after the premiere. "I see"

A shy man tries to confess feelings to a childhood friend and finds a novelty toy that grants whatever he desires. He impulsively wishes for her to love him more than anyone, and the wish appears to work. During their first night together, she briefly glitches and reacts with blind panic rather than affection. Her behavior becomes increasingly strange, raising urgent questions about whether the person he is with is truly her and how much that distinction matters. The filmmaker behind the debut feature started as an online sketch comedian and later became known for horror shorts. The film premiered at a major festival, drew intense attention, and was sold for a high price, with a prominent horror producer joining afterward.

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