Earlier this Sunday, director Curry Barker revealed through his Instagram Stories a piece of visual detailing in his horror film Obsession that has a subtle meaning behind it and that ties into the core themes of the film. Sharing a video with this detailing, the kind which we often describe as “peak,” Barker wrote, “Did you notice Sarah was always on his left? While Nikki was always on his right.” Now what does this mean in the context of the film? Here is an attempt to explain the hidden piece of detailing in Obsession that makes the film rich with subtext. Before you read further, be warned that the rest of this article contains spoilers.
The Game of Drunk Jenga and Left-Right Conundrum
In one of the most important scenes of Obsession, the characters sit across a table and play a game of drunk Jenga. In the game, Bear (Michael Johnston) takes out a block asking him to kiss the one to his left, which is Sarah (Megan Lawless). This is no coincidence but rather a clever piece of visual storytelling. The film positions Sarah to Bear's left throughout, partly to make this dare from him and force an intimate moment between the latter and the former, the woman who harbours a crush on him. Nikki (Inde Navarrette) is on his right, so she is blocked from this potential interaction between Bear and Sarah. The curse forces the 'Evil Nikki’ to intervene, moving Sarah from her seat to intercept the kiss, thus causing herself to spiral out of control and inflict self-harm.
The Human Connection Angle
The human heart is technically in the middle of the chest but tilts considerably to the left. Therefore, in storytelling terms, the left side of a character is usually associated with the heart and their organic emotions. Sarah genuinely cares for Bear, but he overlooks the one who has always been sitting right beside him because he is blinded by an obsessive fantasy for Nikki. Arguably, Nikki represents a prison of his own making for Bear. Remember, it is his wish with the novelty toy that sets off a chain of events that causes Nikki to obsess over him. If he wanted to stop it, he would have acted on it earlier in the film, but deep inside, Bear also wishes to make her his own, even if she suffers in the process. It can be argued that Bear never knew that the novelty toy would work, but once he realises the consequences, he could have done something about it earlier in the film. This is not to say that Obsession becomes inferior due to the aforementioned writing choice, but rather it makes the film filled with nuance.
Bear chooses to take advantage of her forced possession instead of seeking genuine human connection. Thus, he is an architect of his own warped reality. The brilliance of the film lies in the fact that it does not make Nikki an evil protagonist. At multiple points, it shows Nikki's real self speaking from deep inside the evil spirit that has taken control of her mind. Her conscious self is lying behind the 'Wish Nikki'. For example, when Nikki stabs herself on the face in the Jenga game scene, she shouts, "That is not me." Elsewhere, the real Nikki whispers, "Please kill me." This way, the film differentiates itself from other, run-of-the-mill horror films. It also does not blame Bear for the repercussions of his actions either. If anything, the film makes it clear that his selfish nature is what triggers his biggest downfall.
The left-right positioning acts as a way of portraying Bear's split psychology and changing desires, as well as the supernatural curse on Nikki. It becomes crucial towards the climax of the film. At this point, Bear finds himself caught in the middle of two different realities in his life. On his left is Sarah, offering a potential escape back to normalcy and genuine affection. On his right is Nikki, who is on a spell of his making, characterised by trauma, loss of physical autonomy, erratic behaviour, and violence.
Barker uses this visual composition to show that Bear is as trapped by a monster as he is by his own inability to look to his left and value consent over possession.