Saagar Kote
Written and directed by Curry Barker, ‘Obsession’ follows Baron Bailey, AKA Bear (Michael Johnston), a shy music store employee who secretly has romantic feelings for his friend and co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Unable to confess his emotions directly, Bear uses a mysterious object known as the “One Wish Willow” to make Nikki fall deeply in love with him. At first, Bear enjoys seeing his wish come true, but the situation soon turns terrifying. Nikki’s affection gradually transforms into a dangerous and uncontrollable obsession, leading her toward violent and disturbing behavior.
As her attachment to Bear grows more extreme, he realizes the wish cannot be undone and that the spell will continue consuming Nikki completely till the time he is alive. The horror film explores the destructive line between love and obsession, showing how both the person giving affection and the one receiving it can be damaged by it. In the mood for movies similar to ‘Obsession’ that depict the darker and more sinister side of romantic desire? This list is for you.
8. Honeymoon (2014)
‘Honeymoon’ marks Leigh Janiak’s feature directorial debut and focuses on newlyweds Paul (Harry Treadaway) and Bea (Rose Leslie). They travel to a remote lakeside cottage owned by Bea’s family for their honeymoon. At first, the couple enjoys their time together, but the atmosphere soon becomes unsettling after Bea reconnects with a strange childhood friend named Will. One night, Bea suddenly disappears from the cottage, and Paul later discovers her wandering naked and confused in the woods.
Although Bea insists she was only sleepwalking, her personality and behavior gradually begin changing in disturbing ways. As Bea grows increasingly distant and unpredictable, Paul begins to believe that something far more sinister may have happened to her in the forest. The supernatural film will remind you of ‘Obsession’ through the sense of mystery, psychological twists, and violent consequences.
7. Fresh (2022)
Hulu’s ‘Fresh’ centers on Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young woman exhausted by disappointing dating experiences. Her outlook changes after she meets the charming Steve (Sebastian Stan) during a chance encounter at a grocery store. Drawn to his easygoing personality, Noa quickly develops feelings for him and agrees to join him on a romantic weekend getaway. What initially feels like the beginning of an ideal relationship soon turns disturbing as Noa discovers that Steve is hiding terrifying secrets and deeply unsettling desires.
As the situation grows more dangerous, she is forced to confront the horrifying reality behind the man she believed was perfect. Helmed by Mimi Cave, the thriller film features two main characters, disturbing romantic themes, secrecy, hidden motives, sinister threats, and isolated settings, much like ‘Obsession.’
6. Misery (1990)
Based on Stephen King’s eponymous novel, ‘Misery’ explores the life of bestselling novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan), who suffers severe injuries after crashing his car during a snowstorm in Colorado. Paul is rescued by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a former nurse who proudly describes herself as his greatest fan. She takes him to her isolated mountain home to recover from the accident. What first appears to be an act of kindness soon turns frightening when Annie discovers that Paul has killed off the heroine of her favorite book series.
Her obsession with his novels quickly becomes controlling and violent, trapping Paul in a terrifying situation. As Annie forces him to rewrite the story according to her wishes, Paul desperately searches for a way to escape her captivity. Rob Reiner steers this psychological thriller film, which is visually and thematically connected to ‘Obsession’ due to its portrayal of a tense psychological equation between a man and a woman in claustrophobic spaces.
5. The Invisible Man (2020)
Penned and helmed by Leigh Whannell, ‘The Invisible Man’ is the tale of Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss), a deeply traumatized woman who escapes from the isolated seaside home of her abusive and controlling boyfriend, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). After finally finding safety with a close friend, Cecilia learns that Adrian has supposedly died, leaving her feeling free for the first time in years. However, strange and disturbing incidents soon begin to surround her, leading Cecilia to believe that Adrian may still be stalking her.
As fear and paranoia steadily consume her, Cecilia struggles to convince others that an unseen presence is tormenting her while questioning whether she is losing touch with reality. Loosely based on H. G. Wells’s novel of the same name, the sci-fi film is a gripping piece of art. Both ‘The Invisible Man’ and ‘Obsession’ revolve around characters trapped in a web of romantic and psychological elements, while also dealing with the complexities of survival against an invisible force.
4. May (2002)
‘May’ chronicles the ups and downs of May Canady (Angela Bettis), a socially isolated veterinary assistant who struggles to connect with people and becomes deeply obsessed with physical perfection. As a child, May grew up lonely, with only a handmade doll given to her by her mother for companionship. As an adult, she develops a strong attraction toward a mechanic named Adam Stubbs (Jeremy Sisto), particularly because of his unusually perfect hands.
However, May’s unsettling behavior eventually pushes him away. After also feeling rejected by her co-worker, Polly (Anna Faris), May’s emotional instability worsens. When her treasured doll is accidentally destroyed, she descends further into madness and begins creating a new friend using body parts taken from the people around her. Lucky McKee serves as the writer and director of this psychological film that, akin to ‘Obsession,’ sheds light on a woman’s descent into inexplicable behavior, toxic obsession, and violent urges in the search for love.
3. Audition (1999)
‘Audition’ or ‘Ôdishon’ deals with the trials of Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a lonely widower who begins thinking about finding companionship again after years of living alone with his son. To help him meet a potential partner, his friend Yasuhisa Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura), a film producer, arranges fake auditions for a non-existent movie so Aoyama can quietly evaluate possible matches. During the process, Aoyama becomes deeply drawn to a quiet and mysterious young woman named Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina).
However, as their relationship develops, he slowly realizes that Asami is hiding a disturbing, dangerous past far darker than he could ever have imagined. The Japanese psychological film is director Takashi Miike’s adaptation of Ryu Murakami’s eponymous novel. Both movies are about the desperation to find love, the unexpected consequences of romantic desires, clever twists and turns, and an overwhelming sense of secrecy and mystery.
2. The Loved Ones (2009)
‘The Loved Ones’ revolves around Brent Mitchell (Xavier Samuel), a troubled high school student struggling with guilt after a car accident that caused his father’s death. Haunted by the tragedy, Brent withdraws into music, drugs, and isolation. Hoping for a normal evening, Brent plans to attend prom with his girlfriend, Holly (Victoria Thaine). However, everything changes when he is kidnapped by Lola Stone (Robin McLeavy), a dangerously obsessed classmate whose invitation to the dance he had previously rejected.
Held captive in a horrifying mock prom arranged by Lola and her father, Brent is forced into a night of brutal torture and psychological torment while desperately searching for a way to survive. The Australian film is the feature directorial debut of Sean Byrne, who also wrote the screenplay. How far can one go to earn love and emotional connection? ‘The Loved Ones’ and ‘Obsession’ answer this question in unique and disturbing ways by delving into the darker urges and dangers of the human mind and exploring the psychological realities of complex characters.
1. Possession (1981)
Crafted by Andrzej Żuławski, ‘Possession’ is a French-West German psychological film set in Cold War-era West Berlin. The English-language movie follows Mark (Sam Neill), who returns home from a business trip to discover that his wife Anna (Isabelle Adjani) wants a divorce. As their marriage rapidly falls apart, Mark becomes consumed by jealousy and desperation, struggling to understand Anna’s increasingly erratic and disturbing behavior. Anna denies being involved with another man, but Mark finds it difficult to believe this. At the same time, he grows closer to Bob’s teacher, Helen, who strangely resembles Anna but has a completely different personality.
As tensions between Mark and Anna become more violent and unstable, the husband uncovers horrifying truths about his wife’s secret life, realizing that her obsession is far darker and more terrifying. In ‘Obsession’ and ‘Possession,’ we find a puzzling female character, a confused male character, the mysteries of love, the consequences of romantic obsession, and themes of dread, isolation, and uncertainty, along with unique visual flavors.
Read More: Where Was Obsession (2026) Filmed?
