POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR OBSESSION, a movie you’ve almost definitely seen by now…
While browsing Spotify one fateful afternoon, I stumbled across something rather disconcerting: an algorithmically generated playlist titled “Crash Out.” The thumbnail was of Nikki’s restaurant freakout from 2026 viral horror hit OBSESSION, with the description “We’re rooting for the bear.” I was unnerved by this, as it was mainly a compilation of popular Gen Z break-up/sad girl tracks. Without a doubt, this demonstrated a wide misunderstanding of the power of actor Inde Navarette’s performance – and what Nikki’s character was meant to communicate.
Following this, I began to fall deeper down the ethical rabbit hole of how Curry Baker’s film was being received by online audiences. Was OBSESSION’s overall message about inflicting your wishes onto a person against their will completely lost, or was the sheer reaction image potential too strong for content creators to resist? After all, the premise of a crush gone wrong was enough to capture the imaginations of people everywhere. It’s an especially unique phenomenon when those aged 18 to 29 were the greatest source of business for the debut feature.
The movie’s genius is in Nikki not being the deranged, psycho girlfriend trope we’ve seen before. Instead, she’s the protagonist in disguise. Barker encourages us to side with Nikki and root for her to be set free by her abuser. She is a victim of sexual assault, screamingly aware of everything that happens to a body she is unable to control. And yet, it seems that in all the outfits and iconic moments, this has been ignored as easy comedy in the name of consumerism.
Countless videos have spread across TikTok and Instagram: Nikki makeup tutorials, recreations of her “creepy walk” and thousands of memes featuring her crying and screaming. A handful play on themes of “when I get home and don’t want to spend time with my girlfriend,” and the irony should speak for itself. I’ve seen OBSESSION x Adventure Time, Nikki in Fortnite, edits set to Olivia Rodrigo and really, anything you can think of. It’s not that movies shouldn’t inspire fanart and creativity, but the purpose of that original work is important to consider.
This trend was exploited at a corporate level with the many officially licensed products on the Focus Features and Blumhouse store pages. This includes but is not limited to: a “you’re so cute when you sleep” eye mask, a “smells like you” candle and a pack of decal stickers of different Nikki faces. This one in particular features the description “Bring your own Freaky Nikki to your everyday gear with the Obsession Nikki Sticker Sheet.”
Each of these products makes a greater point about the disconnect between the film’s content and contextless perception. Very quickly, there has been an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Nikki as an icon of horror. In the same way Freddy Krueger dominated the ’80s or how Art the Clown became a face of Halloween, the May to October rush to create as much hype around Nikki as possible has been in full force.
The studio itself is reducing Nikki’s trauma and anguish to quirky, “cute but deadly” apparel that is antithetical to Barker’s messaging. These items would be better suited to Hot Topic with an image of Elvira than they are here. The marketing team is showing how clueless the studio is regarding why the film registers with people in the first place. They see it as just another horror fad they can cash in on until the inevitable Nikki and Bear couples’ costumes rule Halloween parties.
The announcement that Nikki would appear at Universal Halloween Horror Nights was when discussions about the ethics of her portrayal rose to prominence. Some were apprehensive about how drunken, ill-tempered park guests might treat these scare actors, which is a very important topic in and of itself. Others believed canonizing Nikki as a Blumhouse monster in the style of The Grabber or M3GAN felt insensitive.
Even referring to the Other Nikki colloquially as “Freaky Nikki” – a name she doesn’t like being called and is only used by Bear to further manipulate her – seems bizarre. There’s just a lack of empathy and thoughtfulness on display in the way we talk about OBSESSION. Nikki’s “crashouts” should not be imitated with the same silly offhandedness as a Chucky quote. If anything, bring Bear to Horror Nights.
This is a missing link between an audience that wants to elevate independent filmmakers while remaining complicit in the misunderstanding of art. In a time of decreased media literacy, the blind are beginning to lead the blind. Are these products truly selling more than a way to show others how much you enjoyed the film? Is there some grand misogynistic conspiracy behind this, or is it simply a mishandling of a new viral movie? I’m using my one wish to hope that this sort of sensitive subject matter will be met with a more empathetic cultural reaction next time.
