OBSESSION is the scariest, most unsettling movie I’ve seen since HEREDITARY. Full stop.

And that’s saying something because we are living in the Golden Age of horror. It’s not just schlock anymore. These are deeply impactful, moving, and wonderfully constructed films.

It’s the kind of horror movie that understands you are smart enough to fill in the blanks, which makes it far more unnerving than something that over-explains every shadow and every scream. Written and directed by Curry Barker, the film follows Bear, a shy music-store employee who uses a supernatural object to make his longtime crush Nikki fall in love with him — and then discovers that wish came with consequences far worse than he imagined. The film stars Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter.

What knocked me over is how confident the movie feels. The acting is fantastic, and Barker directs with the kind of assurance that makes you sit up and think, “Okay, this person absolutely has something.” Nothing makes me happier than seeing new talent emerge with fresh ideas, and OBSESSION has that energy all over it. It’s not just trying to startle you. It’s trying to get under your skin and stay there.

I expect great things from Curry Barker, Inde Navarrette, and Megan Lawless going forward. Lawless, especially, gets to be the one character I didn’t hate, which in a movie like this feels almost like a public service. And seeing it with a packed crowd only made it better. Nothing beats communal scares and laughs when a theater is locked in together and fully enchanted by what’s happening on screen.

Bottom line: I was super impressed. OBSESSION is smart, nasty, deeply unsettling horror, and it gets an A from me.

If you have a minute, check out the podcast, listen live to this week’s show, and watch the trailer below.