Obsession is the Cinderella story that inspires people to actually go after their dreams, not just dream. It’s a huge box office hit with potential for sequels. I heard a lot about the film before seeing it.
Therefore, I had expectations for Obsession. One was that the plot showed more of Bear’s (Michael Johnston) problematic behavior than Nikki’s (Inde Navarrette) psychotic behavior. I expected Bear to be a villain, but I wasn’t expecting him to make so many bad decisions for love.
Bear was definitely the problem, but in ways I wasn’t expecting.
Warning: Obsession spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
Bear Had Plenty Of Opportunities To Express His Feelings To Nikki, But Chose Not To
I think Bear had a chance with Nikki. One of the moments that stunned me was when Nikki asked Bear if he had feelings for her. He dismisses her question like it’s silly. Then he makes the wish. Additionally, he said he wanted her to love him more than anyone in the whole world. That’s generally such an extreme wish that it could only come with major repercussions.
You would want your partner to love you, but not more than anyone else. That’s naturally going to lead to codependency issues. Bear had the chance to tell Nikki he liked her, and the fact that she asked meant there was a chance she might like him too. I understand the anxiety of confessing love and risking rejection, but that’s better than making a dangerous wish. Nikki asking him whether he likes her just makes his wish even sadder and more insane.
Bear’s More Obsessed With Nikki Than She Is With Him, And Proves That Repeatedly
Bear has the opportunity to erase the wish. He doesn’t want to do that because then he will really have to let Nikki go. Despite her unhinged behavior, he still wants her. It’s only when she becomes too crazy and less and less attractive that he finally wants to escape her entirely. Bear has always been the one fixated on her, which is why he makes the wish.
He still wants to be with her, even after her crazy behavior, which shows he’s more obsessed with her. His decisions are his free will; hers are controlled.
He Constantly Makes Cowardly Decisions
It starts with him not telling her his feelings and then spirals. He tries to stop Nikki, but only after things escalate, and he becomes complicit in her crimes. He also fears her. Nikki became so deranged that I can see why even horror movie fans are scared to watch, but Bear”s actions are a lot scarier. He has opportunities to stop things but decides not to or can’t communicate well enough to save himself from his ultimate fate. I think the Obsession ending is satisfying because Bear’s death allows Nikki to be free. She’s traumatized and will likely go to prison or be on the run for the rest of her life, but she now has control of her body and mind. That’s not a happy ending, but the best she can get currently.
