obsession (2026, dir. curry barker)

Intentionally or not, horror movies always offer interesting insights into the culture that produced them, because in order to work, they need to reflect what a given culture finds scary. I think this might be the first horror film made by a young man who came of age during the #MeToo movement in the States (in 2017, when #MeToo was at its apex, Curry Barker was 18). For that reason, I’d say it showcases a fascinating – and strangely hopeful? – portrait of heterosexual male anxieties about sexuality, dating, communication, and consent. In other words, fascinatingly, Obsession offers insight into the straight male experience of rape culture and depicts it as terrifying … which I’d say is a good thing.