‘Obsession’ Almost Ended in Total Tragedy — Here’s the Darker Version Director Curry Barker Nearly Used
Few horror debuts in recent memory have hit audiences quite as hard as ‘Obsession’, the supernatural psychological thriller from YouTube filmmaker Curry Barker. The film follows Bear, played by Michael Johnston, a music store employee who uses a supernatural toy called a One Wish Willow to make a wish that his friend Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette, will fall in love with him, with horrifying consequences. What makes the film so affecting is not just its scares, but the emotional devastation it leaves behind.
The story has been praised for mixing horror with genuine emotional pain, particularly in how it treats Nikki’s experience. Rather than focusing only on frights, the film explores the heavy cost of Bear’s decision and the damage it causes to everyone around him. Navarrette’s performance in particular has drawn widespread admiration, with many viewers describing Nikki as one of the most compelling horror protagonists in years.
What fans are only now learning, however, is that the ending they experienced in theaters nearly did not exist at all. Barker told Entertainment Weekly that he was genuinely consumed by the idea of a Romeo and Juliet-style ending, which he filmed in full but ultimately chose not to use after his father and others around him persuaded him against it. The alternate conclusion would have seen both Bear and Nikki die.
In an interview with MovieWeb, Barker described his original vision plainly, saying he wanted the ending to feel brutal, and that in the original version Nikki simply ends it all. He revealed they gave the actress only one take of the surviving version, telling her it probably would not make it into the film, and that raw, unguarded performance was ultimately what audiences saw.
What changed his mind was a conversation with his father, screenwriter Jeff Barker, who told him it would be far more disturbing if Nikki simply survived. Barker admitted his father was right, and the ending was switched. Navarrette herself confirmed she was glad the change was made, telling the Hollywood Reporter that she was happy Nikki is considered a horror final girl, calling it the sickest title ever.
In the version that made it to the screen, Nikki is forced to face the consequences of everything that happened while trapped in a nightmare caused by Bear’s wish. Even though she survives, she is left alone with trauma, loss, and no clear way forward. Barker’s decision to let her live was made because it created a more disturbing and lasting emotional effect. Closure through death would have been, in a twisted way, the easier road.
Barker, speaking to Cinemablend, also revealed what likely awaits Nikki after the credits roll, suggesting she probably goes to prison for a very long time. A bleak epilogue to an already devastating story. As for what comes next for Barker himself, he has already completed filming on his horror comedy ‘Anything but Ghosts’ and has been tapped by A24 to direct the next ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ film.
Whether you found the ending of ‘Obsession’ appropriately haunting or wish Barker had committed to the even darker path, it is clear the choice carries real weight — so which version of Nikki’s fate do you think would have hit harder?
