Halloween 2026: September 20th

 

Obsession (2026)

If nothing else, 2026 is the year that definitively proved that a successful career on YouTube can be a pathway to Hollywood, especially if you're making a horror movie. Around 2017, Curry Barker and Cooper Tomlinson started posting comedy skits on the Youtube channel "thats_a_bad_idea." Their comical videos regularly get hundreds of thousands of views while occasional horror shorts do even better, attracting millions of eyeballs. Last year, the channel released a pretty good found footage movie called "Milk & Serial." Despite only being an hour long and a budget supposedly smaller than most people's monthly expenses, the flick attracted extensive press from genre websites. I suspect this might have been a calculated advertising campaign to build hype for Barker's next release, as he already had a movie deal based on the success of those earlier shorts. "Obsession" was in-production when "Milk & Serial" went viral, Blumhouse picking the film up in post and Focus Features agreeing to distribute it after a single festival screening. Am I suggesting Curry Barker is that most dreaded of pop culture imposters, the industry plant? Probably not, merely that his success was not quite as overnight as it appeared. But "Obsession" was undeniably a success, making twenty times its budget opening weekend and attracting ecstatic reactions from critics and viewers. As the third or fourth "scariest movie ever" released in 2026, I felt the need to weigh in. 

Bear has had a crush on Nikki since childhood. Advice from their mutual friends Ian and Sarah have gotten him nowhere. Upon learning that Nikki plans on moving away from Atlanta soon, Bear realizes he has to shoot his shot. While attempting to purchase a replacement for a crystal necklace Nikki recently lost, Bear instead comes upon a trinket called a One Wish Willow. You take the stick-shaped object out of the box, declare your wish, snap it in half, and supposedly it will come true. Bear buys the device, intending to give it to Nikki as a gift. After once again being too cowardly to declare his feelings for her, he instead uses it himself. He wishes that Nikki loved him more than anyone else in the world. Shockingly, the device works as promised... Too well, in fact, as Nikki becomes utterly obsessed with Bear. Her behavior immediately turns disturbing and quickly violent too. The One Wish Willow allows for no take-backs on its wish and Bear must now navigate his crush being distressingly, frantically in love with him. 

I think people were writing stories about how you should be careful what you wish for, because you may get it, approximately ten seconds after the concept of wishes was invented. Many films have played on the irony of this idea, usually through the intervention of a magical plot device or a stiflingly literal genie. "Obsession" operates under the "Big" method, of a seemingly harmless novelty actually having the powers advertised. This is a premise that presents a lot of questions. Bear asks two separate employees at the shop about how the objects work, both seeming to grasp the magical mechanics of the One Wish Willow without stopping to explain how it is possible. Later, Bear calls the number on the box and has a phone call with some creepy dude, who soon summons hellish screams. So, what, the One Wish Willow is some sort of demonic object? That traps people in Hells of their own making, luring them in with the promise of fulfilling their deepest desire, a punishment for avarice and want? Except later, we see someone use the One Wish Willow and immediately receive what they want with seemingly no negative consequences. To find out that Curry Barker got his start in sketch comedy makes sense, as "Obsession" operates with the logic of a "SNL" bit. You're presented with one idea – magical wish makes protagonist's life hell – up until a swerve arrives that subverts that seemingly straight-forward set-up, for an ironic punch line. 

This works fine within the space of a five minute Youtube video. Over the course of a feature film, however, other problems present itself. Cinematographer Taylor Clemens gives "Obsession" a muted, frequently too dark color palette. The camera angles are usually close up on the actors' face, the framing boxy. When combined with production design that focuses on an untidy mundanity, such as in Bear's slightly sketchy apartment, the presumed aesthetic is a grounded, realistic one. "Obsession" wants to operate like a nightmare, everyday reality slowly becoming increasingly "off" with horrific interjections. The visual approach might have helped create that but the film can never make its more outlandish moments feel like they could logically exist in this world. Such as in a scene where Bear turns around to discover that Nikki, in her mania, has completely plastered the front door over with duct tape. That's a sight gag, a joke, and it feels too at-odds with the presented reality of the film. 

This is not the only example of a vexing disconnect between the film's stated premise and its actual execution. "Obsession's" title and general setup suggest a twist on the stalker with a crush thriller. Nikki's intense mood swings, possessiveness, histrionic reactions to the mere idea of abandonment, public tantrums, and trying to blame Bear for her actions are not-so-tasteful invocations of borderline personality disorder. Other moments – such as when she stands in one place all day, waiting for Bear to come home from work, pissing, shitting and apparently puking right there – go back to the idea that she is being compelled to literally not function when he isn't around. Other times, however, Nikki just does crazy shit for no reason. She'll space out for a second and then shriek. A lengthy sequence has her flittering around a dark bedroom like a sleep paralysis demon. She does a public performance of an incestuous poem or delivers a rambling monologue from a shadow doorway. The dumbest reoccurring idea is postmortem uses for a cat. Why would a person obsessively in love with you do that? Inde Navarrette's facial contortions and unhinged theatrics are impressive but it can't cover the lack of interior coherence here. 

There is, I suspect, reasons for these lapses in logic. "Obsession" is not depicting these things because it follows the story's reasoning. Instead, it wants to scare and freak out the audience. This is why there are gross-out reveals concerning unconventional lunch meat and bodily fluids, night terror-like shenanigans, and extremely uncomfortable public declarations. "Obsession" is as self-conscious about its desire to be scary as your average jump scare filled potboiler, only with highly engineered cringe-inducers than sudden and loud noises. (Further indicated by repeated face-bashing trauma, which has quickly become a cliche of "elevated" horror.) This is why Nikki acts more like a person possessed by a demon at times than a yandere fanatically infatuated with someone. This is also why the plot twists itself in silly configurations. Such as someone asking Bear to leave the apartment and talk to them after Nikki has repeatedly reminded him to never leave her side, which has predictable results. In fact, "Obsession" is one of those movies where a lot of the plot would've been resolved if the characters simply said what they were feeling. 

This is, I suppose, part of the point of "Obsession." Quickly, the film reveals itself as a series of punishments and humiliations for its hapless protagonist. Bear, as played by a suitably sweaty Michael Johnston, is an utterly spineless individual. He is too afraid of rejection to tell Nikki how he feels and too timid to stand up to her once she becomes obsessive. Ultimately, he's also too cowardly to take responsibility for his own actions, trying to weasel his way out at the last minute of the climax. He is an archetypal "nice guy," feeling entitled to romantic love but unwilling to risk anything to earn it, and "Obsession" is the machine designed to torment him for this crime. Despite quickly grasping that Nikki is not acting under her own free will, he still accepts her initial affection and has sex with her. Is the parallel we are meant to grasp here that having a crush on someone, wishing they liked you as much as you like them, is tantamount to rape? This has been the reading many have taken with "Obsession," seeing it as a dark comedy that presents the audience with a Guy That Sucks and making him suffer for our amusement. But I don't know, man. The attitude I got was more self-hating than anything else, cinematic flagellation from a recovering dweeb who is now embarrassed that he was ever anything like this. What is there to be gained from watching a sad boy grapple with the consequences of his own sexist disregard for the bodily autonomy of the woman he claims to respect, but merely only desires, for ninety minutes? I guess this is a lesson that many men still need to hear but "Obsession's" ironically smug handling made me more irritated than anything else. 

Thus, I must part ways with the critical consensus. There are clever elements to "Obsession." Several shots depict Nikki's face in darkness or half-light, rendering her literally faceless much the same way Bear's wish took away all her agency. This does tie in nicely with all that head bashing. However, once the blood and puke and overly proud-of-itself profanities and half-assed gross-outs and shapeless creepiness start to pile up, I found the experience increasingly tedious. Kudos to the folks who dug it but "Obsession" was not for me. Barker has his considerably more star-studded follow-up in the can and has already been plucked for a big franchise gig. (Insomuch that the umpteenth attempt to turn "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" into a consistent money generator can be considered "big.") I think the guy is talented but I personally found "Obsession's" writing inconsistent, its attempts at scares annoying, and its intended greater message shallow. [4/10]

Short Night of Glass Dolls (1970)

 

The way the Italian film industry used to crank 'em out back in the day is truly something to behold. If one film became a hit, suddenly every cinematograpfica was packed to the gills with similar motion pictures. The peak period for the giallo was actually fairly short-lived, running from around 1969 to about 1973. That three year period saw over a hundred different stylish murder-mystery thrillers gracing Italian screens. No wonder the style burnt itself out so quickly! Argento, Bava, and Martino would emerge as the most notable names but the sheer number of gialli made meant quite a few filmmakers have earned cult followings for their work in the subgenre. A less well known name is Aldo Lado. He scripted a killer thriller named “The Designated Victim” in 1971 before going on to make “Short Night of the Glass Dolls” and “Who Saw Her Die?” The former title seems especially well regarded. I've always remembered that evocative title – I mean, it wouldn't be a gialli without one – and decided to give this one a watch this year.  

 

In Prague, a park's groundskeeper discovers what is seemingly the dead body of a man. The apparent corpse is quickly identified as Gregory Moore, a journalist. Despite his death-like state, Gregory is very much alive. As he lays on the slab, he thinks back on the events that led him here. It started with the disappearance of his girlfriend, Jessica. She was a defectee from the Soviet Union and vanished after the two attended a fancy party. The authorities attempt to dissuade Gregory from investigating further but he's unconvinced. His contacted by a mysterious old man who claims to know what happened to Jessica. The man is pushed in front of an on-coming train before getting a chance to talk to Gregory. He starts to follow the clues left behind, which lead him to a mysterious organization called Klub 99. Can he recall what led him to the morgue and will he be able to fully awaken before an autopsy is performed on his still-living body?

 

The giallo is well known for its button-pushing content in terms of violence and sex. Less discussed is the political underpinnings of the style. Authority can rarely be trusted in these stories, with elaborate cover-ups or murderous priests appearing from time-to-time. “Short Night of the Glass Dolls” pairs this with a more explicit Soviet-era unease. Despite being as Italian as any other example, “Short Night” is actually a cross-European production. It's set in Prague, was a co-production with West German and Yugoslav companies, and was mostly filmed in Croatia. (Lado was ethnically Croatian, which feels like a significant point.) The story is explicitly political, with Jessica's status as a former Soviet and Gregory being an outsider in this city factoring into the story. While most gialli depict the police as either eccentric or incompetent, “Short Night” has them as fully antagonistic. The cops try to stop Gregory from digging into what's going on here. It's a welcomed bit of A.C.A.B. theming and goes hand-in-hand with the sense within the story that the protagonist shouldn't trust anyone. 

 

There's a good reason for that. I do my best to avoid spoilers in my reviews, especially for films more on the obscure spectrum like this. However, it's tricky to discuss “Short Night of Glass Dolls” without spoiling its last act. Gregory's investigation leads him to blind weirdos, sheds full of doll parts, butterflies, and hippy love-ins with strumming guitars. Most of these are red herrings for the true culprits behind the disappearances: The Illuminati! Yes, “Short Night of Glass Dolls” climaxes with the hero storming into an “Eyes Wide Shut” style ritualistic orgy among the elites. Conspiracy theories about the rich and powerful gathering in mansions to do pervy, witchy shit often go hand-in-hand with racist or xenophobic rhetoric. However, history has repeatedly shown that the rich and powerful gathering to bleed life from the poor and young is an all-too-common occurrence. Aldo's film running with this idea further places its anti-authoritarian politics in context. 

 

It's a damn good finale. Glaring faces emerge from the darkness and Jean Soral's head spins around like he's been taking lessons from Linda Blair. As is also typical of the subgenre, “Short Night” is stylishly shot and scored. While the cinematography is nice and shadowy, and makes great use of the city's architecture, the editing is what really caught my eye here. The film is cut with a precise, poetic rhythm. Maybe this is extra apparent because so much of the story is told in flashback, cutting between the past and Gregory's currently paralyzed state being an important element. This is another giallo with an Ennio Morricone score. While the music isn't as memorable as his “Four Flies on Grey Velvet” or “A Lizard in a Woman's Skin” soundtracks, it's still quite eerie. 

 

In other words, “Short Night of Glass Dolls” has a lot going for it. So why didn't the film hook me more? Jean Sorel's lead performance is okay. He's got the big, dreamy eyes that are well suited to the film. However, the guy seems to lack much in the way of personality. He talks much about how much he loves his missing girlfriend but we simply don't see much evidence of it. In fact, he hooks up with his ex despite ostensibly being grieving throughout the entire story. I found Mario Adorf, as the boisterous friend, to be a much more likable presence. “Short Night of Glass Dolls” also has a slow pace. While stories that wander around a lot without going much of anywhere are not always rare in gialli, this one seems to have an especially aimless story. The hero spends the whole film coming close to uncovering something, only to be pushed away at the last minute. This continues until the conclusion, making the entire film feel a bit like a delayed pay-off to its best idea.

 

It's a bummer that I ultimately couldn't get onto this one's wavelength. That climax is awesome and the scene that follows are equally creepy. Simply put, the path to get there isn't quite compelling enough to make the wait worth it. This one needed some more hyper-stylized cinematography perhaps. Or more surreal touches, like the legless beggar who appears in the first scene. Or maybe having your main character be isolated on the operating table for most of the story robs it of some tension. Whatever the reason, I wasn't feeling this one on this watch. I'll probably have to give it another look to warm up to it. Also, the title is nonsensical even by the standards of baroque. I'm sure the narrative can be said to feature a quickly passing nocturne featuring metaphorical crystal playthings of some sort but, if so, I missed it. [6/10]

 

 

 

Supernatural: Dorabella

The episode of “Supernatural” – the BBC gothic horror anthology from 1977, not any other show with that name – was pretty good, so here's another one. Walter Von Lambert submits his story for the approval of the Club of the Damned. He tells of traveling Europe with his close friend Philip. While stopping in an obscure city, they witness a performance of music and magic by a beautiful young woman named Dorabella. Philip is immediately smitten and Dorabella is happy to reciprocate. Walter notices that his friend's behavior quickly changes. He stays up all night. He acts strange. He suddenly insist that they drag an ornate box with them everything, whose contents smoke in the sunlight. Most pointedly, people start to die where ever Dorabella seems to travel. Upon arriving at the estate of Dorabella's family, for her marriage to Philip, Walter comes to the inevitable conclusion: His buddy's new girlfriend is a vampire. 

I'll have to ask my best bro about this, since I'm the one getting married soon. However, it's often been observed that a man changes when a new woman comes into his life. Walter and Phillip are best buddies but, the minute he turns his focus on Dorabella, their bromance comes to an abrupt end. Dorabella is controlling, glaring at any other woman that approaches the duo. He's obsessed with her too, seeing visions of the women and dragging that coffin around for her. It's an interesting parallel to draw, between someone becoming the thrall to a vampire and losing a friend to a clinging, controlling relationship. Their wedding ceremony involves Phillip slipping on a ring with a spike in it that pierces his fingers, Dorabella sucking the blood from it, a literal depiction of her draining his life force away. The premise allows for another layer to this story. Before the end, Walter asks his buddy to leave his new bride behind and run away with him instead. It can't help but read as a homoerotic pleading. Phillip has put a ho before his bro and Walter isn't happy about it. She doesn't understand you like I do, man. 

I can't help but find this Bitches Ain't Shit subtext funny. It's also befitting of the gothic horror traditions “Supernatural” was clearly following. As in the last episode I covered, the atmosphere is thick in this one. The entire last act takes place in a creepy old mansion, with ominous faces carved into the stone pillars. There's a shot of a cloaked Dorabella standing in the shadows, framed by the moon behind her, fog rolling around her feet. That scratches that classic horror craving of mine. Ania Marson certainly has the sex appeal and undercurrent of danger that would be worthy of a vintage Hammer flick. 

The creepiest addition “Supernatural” makes to the vampire lore is one that I genuinely don't think I've seen anywhere else. The servants in the vampire manor are blind, their eyes turned milky white with cataracts. This feature extends to the vampire themselves. It's a good representation of how joining the legion of the undead robs a person of their humanity. It's also creepy looking, a fact the episode utilizes well in several moments. Most notably the twist ending, which I definitely should've seen coming but was nicely caught off-guard by. This is a great dose of gothic horror, as slow as any other classic British genre show but with a genuine atmosphere of creepy, classy dread to go along with it. [8/10]
 

Friday the 13th: The Series: Scarecrow

I'm going to be honest with you guys. One of the main reasons I wanted to finally watch “Friday the 13th: The Series” this autumn is because I read that it has a pretty good episode about a creepy scarecrow, one of my favorite underutilized monster archetypes. The episode is, in fact, called “Scarecrow.” Ryan has sent out mailers across Canada to help locate more cursed objects, which takes him and Micki into the countryside. They are in search of an old scarecrow and their path leads them to the Cobean farm. The couple is clearly hiding something, if the mentally disabled and violent son they keep locked up in the attic is any indication. The Curious Goods team run into some other faces. Marge, the local innkeeper, seems too friendly for her own good. Ryan finds a kid hiding in a near-by home, taking him under his wing, and this is when the truth starts to come out. It would seem the Cobean farm is the only successful one in the area. This is the result of the scarecrow, which crawls down off his post and decapitates any one whose picture is placed on its chest. 

The scarecrow has always struck me as an especially pagan image. These are effigies of men that are crucified out in the field, to guard over the harvest. It's very easy to imagine them as remnants of the old ways, lingering reminders of traditions so old, we no longer remember why we do them. Fittingly, quite a few killer scarecrow stories have a folk horror edge. This episode certainly does. The murderous straw man is activated by old magik and implemented in human sacrifices, all in return for a bountiful crop. The responsible party – guess if you can figure out who – has some serious witch-like vibes about her. While the episode is low on country winds whispering through the stalks, the final chase is backgrounded by one of those Amish quilts. When you add in a barn full of dangling dead bodies and an extremely cool final shot of the cross posts before the evening sun, it leads to some fine ambiance. 

It also helps that the scarecrow itself has got a creepy design. The sack head looks a bit like the features of a human face stretched and warped in one direction. Scythes are more evocative of the Grim Reaper than tilling the fields in this day and age, making that an appropriate murder weapon. “Scarecrow” is another episode of “Friday the 13th: The Series” that recalls the slasher movies the show is ostensibly spun-off from. We've got a masked, lumbering killer slicing folks up, including a surprisingly gory on-screen decapitation. A moment of a shrieking woman, wielding a butcher knife high, leaping from the shadows feels like another feather from Miss Voorhees' cap that this show plucked. 

This episode also expands on the central duo's backstory a little. We learn Ryan had a little brother that died after being struck by a car. He carries his baseball around as a reminder. Naturally, the orphan he quasi-adopts acts as a surrogate of sorts. It feels like a detail thrown in to graft some extra pathos. Will Ryan's dead brother ever be mentioned again? Not to mention this show already had one of the protagonist look after a random little kid in an earlier episode. Still, these two have grown on me a lot. Watching them slowly pull the hints together is amusing. There's a moment when Micki notices a clue and leaps into action that I especially liked, even if it's a total misdirect. Jack's absence in this episode and the last are explained by him being on vacation but I've grown attached enough to Robey and John LeMay that I still had a good time with “Scarecrow.” [7/10]