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If you ever find yourself in possession of a One Wish Willow novelty item, you might want to trash it immediately. In the hit film “Obsession” (streaming on Peacock), Bear (Michael Johnston) has not heeded that warning. He uses the devise to wish that his longtime crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette), would love him more than anyone. And boy, does that wish come true, to sinister effect.
By this point in the film, Nikki’s behavior has already grown unnerving. Things take an even worse turn in this scene when she crashes a get-together Bear is attending and causes a stir during a party game, creating tension throughout the entire room.
Discussing the scene in an interview, the film’s writer-director, Curry Barker, said, “I really wanted to capture the awkwardness of the situation.” To heighten the discomfort, Barker opted to “stay on frames a little longer than you typically would to kind of linger and make you feel uncomfortable.” He wanted the audience to feel like party guests themselves, wallowing in the awkwardness.
The scene ends with a shocking moment of violence that propels the narrative.
“I wanted the party scene to be a big turning point in this movie, and I thought, if there’s going to be something horrific that happens, I want it to take place in a public forum like a party,” Barker said. “I thought it’d be really interesting to see her in her full craziness.”
Read the “Obsession” review.
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The post How Curry Barker Makes a Sad Face Terrifying in ‘Obsession’ appeared first on New York Times.
