Obsession (2025) Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: An awkward man experiences the most disastrous results after magically wishing his crush will love him.

Review: Simply put, this movie is a phenomenon--a, once in a decade, cultural moment similarly to "Halloween" or "The Blair Witch Project." I actually couldn't even watch this movie for like a month, because the showings kept selling out. But does "Obsession" actually live up to the hype? YES! As rare as it is, I was legitimately scared at one point and couldn't sleep right after my midnight showing ended; I kept thinking Nikki might be in the room with me! I dare say, "Obsession" is haunting--scratching its way into your mind, whether you realize it or not, and lingers with you long after the credits roll.

To properly explain what makes this movie work, I have to address the obvious: the character of Nikki steals the show. Played magnificently, and psychotically, by Inde Navarrette, your reaction to Nikki will shape your perception of everything. Maybe it's the memes, or how impactful the movie has been, but Nikki has firmly established herself in the cultural lexicon. My favorite is the infamous frown but with her photoshopped as Supergirl! Ms. Navarrette's performance is so nuanced with her subtle facial expressions and voice alterations...with some clutch help from the lighting. Something else that is hard to adequately explain is that she straddles a weird line of being attractive but somehow not so hot as to be unattainable to the main guy; she is that exact, archetypal girl next door. This was the kind of casting that only happens when the stars align perfectly. I'm calling it now, you will be seeing a lot more of Ms. Navarrette in the future regardless of whether she can ever pull off another role as memorable as Nikki. She certainly gave it her all, and it translated exceptionally into a career-making/defining performance.

Honestly, Inde looks more like the character than the actual actress in the movie.

The other major aspect blowing people away is the peanut budget and how much was accomplished despite this. My man, Curry Barker, I tip my hat to you. "Obsession" looks solid, as if it has a budget 20x what it was. The lighting alone is praiseworthy--with special attention toward the use of shadows. The way Nikki's eyes are made to glow demonically when she first shows up at Bear's house was awesome. Of course, the best scene in the movie is when Nikki watches Bear sleep. This is an outright masterclass in effective lighting creating the horror for you. Mr. Barker lets the shadows warp the imagination of the audience into creating their own scares. Now, the movie as a whole has solid production value, but the lighting is on a whole different level which is why I highlight it heavily.

Another piece of the puzzle is the way that so much of the story is left up to the audience. We already know there will be sequels, but I hope the supernatural elements presented here are not demystified. I've watched many videos and read numerous reviews full of speculation and interpretations regarding the characters and events of "Obsession." Is Nikki possessed? Who was the guy on the phone? This vagueness helps the story tremendously. I'd advise Mr. Barker to stop making any comments since the audience is interpreting the art in different ways. This is a huge plus. Let the audience wonder...it creates more interest and engagement with the material! This public conversation is another reason why this movie exploded in popularity; never underestimate the power of word of mouth.

Now for the downside. Is "Obsession" overrated? Yes...to a degree. Every bit of praise I've thrown at this film is earned, however, this is a derivative work and not original in the slightest. First, I'd consider the idea of 'be-careful-what-you-wish-for' as a sub-genre of horror. Second, wishing for love is yet another layer deeper within this sub-genre. My first reaction to this movie was it's an edgier version of "Loved to Death" which is an episode of "Tales from the Crypt." That episode is strikingly similar to "Obsession," which, in turn, was the '90s attempt at being an edgier version of "The Chaser," an episode of "The Twilight Zone." Likewise, Mr. Barker explaining he drew inspiration from "The Simpsons" parody of "The Monkey's Paw" is a bizarre admittance unto itself. The inspirations for "Obsession" are palpable which does hurt it ever so slightly. However, an important distinction I want to acknowledge is the execution of these inspirations. "Obsession" is the best version of the love wish as a concept.

Overall, this is low-budget horror at its finest! Whether you end up thinking "Obsession" is overrated or the best horror movie ever, one cannot deny this is a landmark film that will be discussed for years to come. "Obsession" has broken all kinds of records, becoming a huge financial hit as well, ensuring that the wannabes are probably being put into production at this very moment. This movie is scary, thought-provoking, and oozes atmosphere. Nikki is going to be one of this generation's big icons--maybe only alongside Art the Clown. I do accept the derivative nature of the story can weaken things, but "Obsession" takes material that's be done before and perfects it for a fraction of the budget. I'm excited to see what comes next from the writer/director and Ms. Navarrette.

Notable Moment: There are a ton of standout moments, but the bedroom sequence with Nikki in the shadows is downright terrifying. Besides the fact that the entire setup is creepy as hell, the way the shadows create this monstrous look to her appearance is amazing. Then the flowerpot moment builds so much tension and screws with your imagination, heightening the anticipation. That's our Freaky Nikki! What a scene!

Final Rating: 7.5/10 

Godzilla Minus One Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Following Japan's surrender in WWII, an angry Godzilla arises to threaten what is left of the wary, Japanese survivors.

Review: I idiotically slept on this film at first, but I would rank this as a contender for best movie of the 2020s. Yes, it's that good! There are supposedly 38 Godzilla movies--of these, I've probably watched more than half and mostly all the pre-2000s entries; sure, they're entertaining enough films in a cheesy-fun way. So, when word had spread about how "Godzilla Minus One" was putting Hollywood to shame, I had to see it for myself. Low and behold, not only did this film live up to my expectations, but it raised the bar of how to create a blockbuster action movie for a significantly smaller budget. It's to the point that I've heard many people use this as a metric when comparing bloated Hollywood slop...saying things like, "You could have made 5 'Godzilla Minus Ones' for that money." Truly, this is a game-changer to say the least.

First off, there are different ways to watch this: dubbed or subbed. In color or no color? I hate to sound like a pretentious critic, but the optimal viewing is subtitled and in black and white. The sets and props just look more authentic in this manner, and, outside of some shoddy CGI, this could easily pass for an old film under these conditions. While we are on the subject, the post-WWII aesthetic looks awesome and true to life. I'm in disbelief sometimes at how impressive everything looks for the budget especially when factoring in the many, large set pieces when going up against Godzilla. The Academy Award win was most certainly earned; should have been nominated for more though.

But the true aspect that allows this film to shine is the story and its characters. The actors do a commendable job as people struggling to get back on their feet just as Godzilla shows up to pull the rug right out from under them. This is a classic story of people coming together against overwhelming odds and combining their abilities in order to succeed. That kind of heroism and determination is something sorely lacking in most stories these days. More so, that triumphant feeling of victory by the end is palpable--a crowd-pleaser without a doubt. I also want to acknowledge the ballsy death of Noriko (we'll get back to her). On the first viewing, I was completely shocked, and this moment marked a major turning point for the story and characters. That's how you build stakes! 

As for the big boy himself, Godzilla is an absolute menace! Continuity is all over the place with this franchise, however, Godzilla has spent more times as a defender of Earth than not by my estimate. Here, Godzilla is back to his original form of being a pure monster of chaos, wreaking havoc at every step. Hell, his eyes make him look nuts half the time especially when he first attacks the makeshift mine-sweepers. He has the iconic roar, the atomic breath is city-destroying, his regenerative abilities are Wolverine-esque, and he simply plows his way through anything with almost complete hate. Establishing Godzilla at this level ups the tension since the audience cannot possibly imagine the characters having the means to take him down. Of course, this only heightens how adrenaline-pumping and awesome it is when the big boy does finally go down...for now, at least.

Now, while I do love this movie, I have to admit it has a couple of glaring flaws that stop it from being a 10/10. Getting back to Noriko...just let her be dead. Yes, a happy ending is great, but her death was startling and it takes away from the impact to say she survived. Sure, Godzilla skin or something has passed on the regeneration to her or whatever...but did we need that? Godzilla regenerating his body was already sequel-bait enough for an ending. By the way, Noriko's actress, Minami Hamabe, is cute, but, man, oh man, does she look better in the 1940's fashion and styling. Anyway, the other aspect that hurts is the initial CGI on--what I'll call--baby Godzilla. I know, I know, I'm both praising the effects for a low-budget movie while also bitching about it! But baby Godzilla legitimately looks like shit. I actually don't like this entire scene in the first place. 

Other than these tiny grievances, which I'm sure others will see as nitpicking, "Godzilla Minus One" is on point in every conceivable aspect to film-making. From the cinematography to the set designs, and everything in between, "Godzilla Minus One" delivers and then some. Considering the direction these films have been going for years, it was actually a welcomed surprise anyone would want to reset the whole franchise AND it manages to turn out this remarkable to boot! The gauntlet has been thrown: Hollywood responded to Japan's mishandling of Godzilla, and Japan responded accordingly. Will the Americanized Godzilla be able to keep up? Regardless, check this movie out in any shape or form of your choosing--you will NOT be disappointed! Now, we will have to see if "Godzilla Minus Zero" can deliver following in this colossal shadow.

Notable Moment: There are numerous standout moments, but when the Godzilla theme kicks in during the final fight you know things are about to get serious. You can't help but smile as the events unfold.

Final Rating: 8/10 

Coherence Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: When a group of friends gather for an ordinary dinner, a cosmic force alters the very reality around them.

Review: I've been watching and reviewing garbage for years now, but I figured it was time to go on a stretch covering nothing but good movies for a change. Starting things off, here is "Coherence." Forget low-budget--this is NO budget! This is, more or less, the ultimate demonstration that you can cobble together a quality film from nothing but good ideas and a few connections; seriously, look into the production of "Coherence" and be amazed.

Upfront, this is technically a story about multiple realities--which can turn some viewers off--but it's not the kind of thing where in one universe you are Abraham Lincoln and in another you're a gorilla. No, this is about how your choices can have a profound impact in the immediate sense. "Coherence" is probably the best depiction of the notion of a multiverse we've seen yet. All the realities we see stem from the same characters having the same dinner while a comet creates some kind of nexus of space-time. Needless to say, the situations and ideas presented are creative and clever. The many possibilities of this night are addressed with such an attention to detail that the film readily invites multiple viewings. Speaking of which...

The way the story unfolds is fun and engaging. The structure of the story is akin to the characters following breadcrumbs with a considerable amount of foreshadowing to boot. The audience watches them figure out what's happening while also seeing how variants of each character can come to certain conclusions slower or faster based on what information they have to work with or what decisions another character made. It's cool watching all the pieces fall into place or going back to see how certain things come together. Hell, the characters even suggest they are dealing with 5 million+ possibilities based on their dice rolls alone! Toward the end, the twist that the variant of Em we've followed the whole film is "dark" is awesome as she seeks a reality where the night turned out perfect. And, of course, the hints to this ending were laid out the entire time which I love.

Okay, sure, a multiverse story done right...big whoop. The real meat and potatoes that makes "Coherence" shine so brightly is the characters and the impressive improvisation from the actors. Not only does their dialogue come off as natural, but the continued banter throughout creates such a rich world where these people feel like legitimate friends. Rarely would I say to turn on the closed captioning, but it helps with a lot of the background quips and insults which you don't want to miss out on! You might recognize some of these actors, especially from '90s TV,  however they came together and played off each other better than most Academy Award winners; again, let me emphasize that the majority of the dialogue is completely spontaneous with the exception of major plot points. To all the players, this was your standout work, well worthy of praise.

Of course, there are inherent flaws that come attached with having peanuts for a budget, yet, one major problem above all else is the shaky-cam. I get the approach, however, it doesn't quite jive with the story being told. Another aspect that hurts slightly are these weird scene transitions as if it was added for commercial breaks. What the hell was that? I'm sure there will be other issues viewers may find, but, once again, keep in mind that we are talking the budget of a school play here. Any other technical issues, like pacing or lighting, I think are good enough considering what the filmmakers had to work with.

I've been sitting on a review for "Coherence" for years, and it's about damn time I covered it for the blog. This is a sleeper hit with cult status written all over it. It's not a perfect movie by any means, but it's a sci-fi classic in the making. Even if this isn't the kind of movie that would interest you from a story perspective, "Coherence" should be studied from a film-making standpoint for all aspiring directors out there. Definitely check this one out--it's short and sweet and might just blow your mind along the way.

Notable Moment: When Mike tries to explain to Hugh that if there are a million different realities that he has slept with his wife in every one of them. It wasn't meant to be a joke, but, man, that had to sting!

Final Rating: 7.5/10