• Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which ruin kings (Proverbs 31:3)

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          Many a man has been undone by his desire for a woman (or women). Before anyone comes at me for my use of the verse above, these were the words of a mother to her son. She knew the pitfalls of placing all of your identity in the validation of another. Making a woman the center of the universe will undo a man’s life, as will trying to force a woman to make a man the center of the universe. You were never meant to shoulder such a burden.

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          This is the context of the movie Obsession which centers on a young man named Bear (short for Baron) whose social awkwardness prevents him from expressing his feelings for a young woman, Nikki, who has essentially locked him in the friendzone. Bear finally seems to be ready to profess his love but inevitably folds under the pressure of the moment. Through a series of previous events, he gets his hands on a “One Wish Willow”. The premise of the object works much the same as a genie’s lamp. Make a wish and break the willow. Your greatest dream can come true for only $6.99. In a moment of exasperation Bear wishes that Nikki would “love him more than anything in the world.”

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          There seem to be no rules as to what you could wish for in this scenario. It reminded me of another movie involving a wish for the love of a woman, Aladdin. Aladdin wants to wish for the princess to fall in love with him, but the Genie lets him know that breaks the rules (Rule #2 to be precise). You also can’t wish for more wishes and can’t raise people from the dead. Obsession might just clarify why those rules were put into place. Aladdin still had to put in the work to win the princess’s heart. Bear gets it in one fell swoop, but he also gets more than he bargained for.

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          At first Bear is thrilled, although confused about Nikki’s newfound attention and affection toward him. Now that Nikki is finally giving him the time of day, he chooses to ignore or reason away the red flags that become apparent to everyone else around. Nikki doesn’t seem like herself anymore. She seems like an entirely different person. That’s because she is. The enigmatic, carefree woman has now been replaced with an unhinged, jealous, infatuated caricature, only focused on the attention of Bear. Sometimes the old Nikki seems to snap back into control, but only to show the mental anguish and suffering that this hijacking of her consciousness is causing.

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          This emptiness is portrayed in a classic horror movie technique, darkness. Nikki stands in a doorway talking to Bear, but her facial features are draped in shadow, to the point where we cannot make out any details. It’s as if she’s not really there. This happens again halfway through the film as she stands in the corner of the bedroom watching Bear sleep. (Yes, it’s even creepier than it sounds). Nikki finds herself in the same doorway as before, the obsession taking further control, but the same darkness covers her face. The Nikki that Bear previously pined for is no longer there.

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          Bear’s plight showcases the nature of human desire. He wants validation from another person, but seems cursed to never experience it. He is so fixated on what he wants that it consumes him. If only he had this one thing, this one person, this one experience, then he would satisfied. It is the justification that many of us make in pursuit of filling the void in our soul. Bear finally gets what he wants, but he finds that it’s not all that it is cracked up to be. Much like the writer of Ecclesiastes he finds that this world, whether wealth, pleasure, or accomplishment cannot gratify his deep-seated hunger. His choices, in fact, give him more than he bargained for.

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          In Psalm 78 the writer recounts the story of the Israelites asking for meat in the wilderness. God has graciously provided for them, but they want more. God is gracious in providing this as well, but does so to the point that Israelites become sick of their new menu item. Later the Israelites ask for a king to be like all the other nations around them (1 Samuel 8). Even though God warns them that they will be further taxed, and their children will taken to become soldiers and servants, and the kings will fail in their leadership capacity, the people still cry out for their wants to be met. We haven’t changed much. We want what we want and then we will have the audacity to complain about the consequences.

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          Bear realizes that the consequences of his decision are getting out of hand. But he finally has what he has desired for so long. Much of the movie is spent with him justifying the relationship, justifying Nikki’s unhinged actions, and trying to placate the emotional instability of his new girlfriend. Everyone else sees how unhealthy this is. Even Bear knows this deep down, but is too focused on his own wants. His “love” is deeply selfish. A scene near the end of the film shows Bear trying to sneak out of the house without Nikki knowing. She does notice, but it is the old Nikki breaking through as the new Nikki is still asleep. She begs Bear to end her suffering, but all Bear can ask is “What is so wrong about being with me?” Nikkie responds that “She has never been with him.” Soon after Bear is forced into a situation where he has to admit that Nikki’s love for him “is not real.” In fact, his love for her was never real either.

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          Love throughout the Bible is described in self-sacrificial terms. It is not self-serving, nor is it resentful (1 Corinthians 13:5). Jesus said that there is no greater love than this – that one lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13). Husbands are called to love their wives by dying to themselves as Christ died for the church (Ephesians 5:25). This is not the love that is shown in Obsession. Bear is infatuated with Nikki and Nikki is then forced into an infatuation with Bear. Bear can no longer handle it.

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          In many ways this is a great picture of the effects of sin. Bear finally gets what he wants and finds himself trapped in the decisions he has made. Titus 3:3 describes people as being “enslaved to various passions and desires.” We are all in a prison of our own making, and just like Bear, we have no way of escape. I spent much of the movie thinking that Bear could just make another wish and get out of this predicament, but in the end we find that Bear was limited to one wish (hence, “One-Wish Willow”). One should definitely read the fine print before taking part in these things. Just like Bear, no “works of righteousness” can undo the damage we have caused (Titus 3:5). Sin is deadly for all who take part.

The consequences of Bear’s decisions reach their inevitable conclusion. The wages of sin is death (Romans 3:23). While this story effectively shows the consequences of sin and the grip it has on us, it leaves out an important part of our story. “But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us . . . on the basis of his mercy” (Titus 3:5). Left to our own devices we are destined for an eternity living with the consequences of our sin. If anything, this movie reminded me of the depths of depravity that we will descend to both bring about and further justify our sin. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together in Christ – by grace you are saved!” (Ephesians 2:3-5). This is true for all that put their faith in Christ. If a gruesome and gory depiction of sin brings you to this truth, then praise God!

 

Should I watch this movie? – There is incredible violence, gore, and gruesome depictions emotional and physical anguish that are not for the faint of heart or those with weak stomachs. This movie is rated R for a reason and you should proceed with caution.

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Should this movie be in the top 250? – Probably not, but this is a much better than average installment in the long litany of modern horror movies.