Dispatches from Elsewhere is a series unlike any other, blending sincerity, comedic moments, and themes of uncertainty. The show aired on AMC in 2020 and was canceled after one season. It was quietly released in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and soon afterward disappeared, which is a shame because, underneath all the scavenger hunts, cryptic flyers, performance-art chaos, and talking fish, is one of the most emotionally honest shows Netflix has picked up in years.

According to reports, however, Dispatches from Elsewhere exits Netflix on June 4, which gives viewers a pretty short window to discover a series that feels like somebody turned loneliness, quarter-life panic, and urban mythology into television.

‘Dispatches from Elsewhere’ Starts Like a Conspiracy Thriller

Image via AMC

Peter (Jason Segel) is stuck in the kind of life that feels less miserable than numb. He works a forgettable job at a music streaming company, drifts through the same routine every day, and looks permanently exhausted in the way people do when they’ve quietly given up on being surprised by life. Then he notices a strange flyer, which leads him to the Jejune Institute, a bizarre organization run by the hypnotically theatrical Octavio Coleman (Richard E. Grant), with the exact energy of a man who may either enlighten you spiritually or rob you blind. Soon, Peter is caught up in an alternate reality game that spans the city and features secret societies, hidden clues, missing artists, and a lady named Clara who may or may not exist.

During this adventure, Peter meets three other players: Simone (Eve Lindley), an artist attempting to escape her feelings of isolation; Fredwynn (André 3000), a conspiracy theorist whose brain is much faster than his social skills; and Janice (Sally Field), a lonely empty nester searching for something new to do in her life. The show follows all the characters as the game begins to bleed into reality, or maybe reality starts bleeding into the game.

The Cast Is What Makes ‘Dispatches from Elsewhere’ Work

Image via Disney+

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At times, Dispatches From Elsewhere comes dangerously close to being utterly bizarre. There are parts where it seems as though the creator of this show had an emotional meltdown after spending one weekend watching Pushing Daisies, Twin Peaks, and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. In some instances, it is brilliantly executed, but in other respects, Dispatches is almost too eager to demonstrate its whimsy; the cast keeps everything level, however

Lindley is easily the standout. Simone could’ve become the kind of “mysterious free spirit” character audiences have seen a thousand times before, but Lindley gives her a guardedness that keeps the performance from floating away into cliché. There’s real exhaustion underneath her charm. Meanwhile, André 3000 turns Fredwynn into something unexpectedly sad. He plays him as if he has been analyzing human behavior his whole life without ever actually connecting with anyone. As always, Field effortlessly conveys deep sadness through her performances. Finally, Grant has an uncanny ability to exude warmth and comfort while also giving off an eerily unsettling demeanor.

Jason Segel Made a Mystery Show That’s Really About Loneliness

Image via AMC

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What separates Dispatches from Elsewhere from many puzzle-box mystery shows is that it eventually stops caring about the puzzle.

There are clues hidden everywhere, secret messages tucked into random conversations, entire sequences built around deciphering nonsense, but the actual point of the series becomes pretty clear halfway through. These are people who feel disconnected from the world around them. Peter feels invisible; Simone keeps people at arm’s length because she’s tired of getting hurt; Janice built her entire identity around taking care of other people and suddenly has no idea who she is anymore; and Fredwynn hides inside theories and patterns because they make more sense to him than human relationships do. The game forces them to find one another.

The show is best watched as a binge; if you only watch one episode per week, it is likely frustratingly abstract, since you don’t have any emotional connection to the character while you’re waiting a week to see them again. By watching the entire series in one sitting, you quickly form an emotional connection to the journey.

Once you complete the series and arrive at the strange and very meta ending, it no longer feels like a sci-fi mystery; rather, it feels much more like a story about creativity, regret, human connection, and the almost desperate need we humans have to believe there is always some magic hidden in the mundane everyday activities of our lives.

Taylor Swift‘s wedding day is set to be one for the books, and a major aspect of the upcoming event that has her fans excited is the singer’s wedding gown.

While the pop star is doing everything she can to keep her plans tightly under wraps, fashion experts have weighed in on what her dress could look like.

This comes after it was alleged that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce might tie the knot in early July, in New York City.

Swift is arguably one of the most influential celebrities right now, and her impact can be seen in how easily she sets trends due to her clothing and jewelry choices.

Back in August 2025, when her beau Kelce popped the question with a stunning old mine diamond engagement ring, it spurred a whole new trend of rings sporting engraved bands and antique stones.

Now, her wedding gown is likely going to cause a similar effect in the bridal industry, with Kleinfeld’s Bridal Director of Merchandising, Dorothy Silver, revealing what the dress might look like and why it is about to make history.

“Taylor is a megastar. Much like when Selena Gomez or Hailey Bieber got married, I think brides will want to come in and emulate her style,” Silver said in a chat with Page Six, noting that she and her team believe the star plans to go “classic, but still be fashionable” with her wedding gown.

“When she walks down the aisle, it’s going to be something that is an amazing, timeless gown,” Silver added.

The Pop Star Wore A White Wedding Gown In A Music Video That Hints At The Kind Of Look She Would Go For On Her Big Day

Swift is most certainly not new to the game of ball gowns and bridal outfits, as she once donned an elaborate floral wedding dress for one of her music videos, which had a red version also worn in the video.

Regarding this, Klienfeld bridal stylist, Morgan McCullough, told the news outlet, “I always think back to her ‘I Bet You Think About Me’ music video where she wore one of our Kleinfeld designers, Nicole + Felicia.”

She continued, “They made two dresses with a cascading floral design: a white wedding gown and a version in red.”

According to McCullough, the dresses in the music video are a huge indicator of what route Swift might take on her wedding day.

“I think about that dress a lot for Taylor in her bridal era — something soft and whimsical, feminine, but very classic as well. I really think that’s what she’ll do,” she noted.

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Taylor Swift Would Likely Skip Obvious ‘Easter Eggs’ When It Comes To Her Wedding Gown

Throughout Swift’s career, she has made her fans feel very engaged in her creative process by dropping Easter eggs about her songs, videos, and upcoming projects.

However, during an appearance on her fiancé Travis Kelce’s podcast, the singer made it clear that she never sets an Easter egg that links back to her personal life, as that’s off-limits, stressing that they are created for “professional projects” only.

According to McCullough, this would likely apply to Swift’s wedding dress: “That’s something that I actually really love about her — there is professional Taylor, the performer, and then there’s Taylor, the person.”

“I think there may be something sentimental that only she and Travis know about, something that we may see but never really know what it means,” the bridal stylist added. “Maybe it could be something passed down from her family, such as a piece from her mom or grandmother’s veil, or an item like that which can be sewn inside her dress. Or special initials embroidered inside her gown.”

The Singer’s Wedding Gown Will Be As Romantic As Her Love Songs, Expert Claims

According to experts, a major theme to expect to see featured in Swift’s wedding dress is love and romance.

McCullough notes that since the pop star began her music career, she has made sure to include themes of love in most of her songs, so it’s no surprise that the tradition will continue into the special gown she decides to wear for her walk down the aisle to say “I do.”

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“Since Taylor started making music, she has always included themes about love,” the expert noted, adding, “for her to finally have this beautiful moment is something that’s massive for her, and I’m sure it’s something that she has had planned out since she was a child.”

Taylor Swift Might Not Have ‘Too Many Outfit Changes’ On During Her Nuptials

A recent trend among brides, especially famous ones, is to wear multiple designer gowns on their wedding day, which they switch into at different moments.

Examples include Jennifer Lopez and Swift’s close pal, Selena Gomez, who are said to have commissioned three dresses from Ralph Lauren for the wedding ceremony.

However, while Swift may also join the trend and have multiple gowns, bridal stylist McCullough noted that the singer would most likely keep it simple at her nuptials.

“The Eras Tour showed us that Taylor is the master of quick changes. She’s got it down to a science,” the expert told Page Six.

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She added, “However, she’s also the type of person that seems she would want to be very present at her wedding, so she may not have too many outfit changes.”

While there has been no official date announced yet, reports claim Swift and Kelce will tie the knot in New York City on July 3, surrounded by their friends and family.

Tom Holland is opening up about the surprising new direction behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and it sounds like Marvel and Sony are taking Peter Parker into completely uncharted territory.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Cover [credit: Empire Magazine]

Speaking with Empire, Holland revealed that he actually pitched part of the movie’s story himself, describing it as a “Spider-puberty” concept centered around Peter Parker evolving into adulthood while dealing with dramatic new changes to his powers. According to Holland, “They liked the idea,” and the film appears ready to push Spider-Man further than fans have seen before.

The comments line up with everything Marvel has teased so far about the upcoming movie. Following the emotional ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker is now completely alone in New York after Doctor Strange’s spell erased him from everyone’s memory. Marvel has repeatedly described Brand New Day as a “fresh start” for the character, with Holland himself calling it “the first movie in the next chapter.”

What makes the new film especially interesting is the reported evolution of Peter’s abilities. Early details surrounding the movie suggest his powers may begin mutating in unexpected ways, including the possibility of organic webbing similar to Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man films.

Holland also recently explained that the story is heavily focused on identity and growing up, saying the film explores “when young people really find their identity and become adults.”

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Cover [credit: Empire Magazine]

That more grounded coming-of-age direction appears to be exactly what Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige wants for the franchise moving forward. Feige has teased that the movie will deliver a more “classic” Spider-Man story after years of multiverse chaos.

The film is also set to bring in some major new faces. Jon Bernthal is expected to appear as The Punisher, creating what Holland described as a “big brother-little brother rivalry” dynamic between Frank Castle and Peter Parker.

Meanwhile, fans are already buzzing over the film’s darker tone, practical effects, and newly revealed suit design that leans closer to the classic comic book look.

With Spider-Man: Brand New Day positioned as a full reset for Holland’s version of Peter Parker, Marvel may finally be giving fans the street-level Spider-Man story they’ve wanted for years.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters July 31, 2026.

Criminal Minds appeared to hint at a possible major cast exit ahead of season 19 — but who is expected to return so far?

The official account for the hit Paramount+ series shared a photo from the set in May 2025 with the caption, “The BAU is back on the case! A new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution has officially started filming.”

In the social media post, Joe Mantegna, Aisha Tyler, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Paget Brewster and Ryan-James Hatanaka all smiled for the camera. The only main cast member missing? Zach Gilford.

The first season of Criminal Minds: Evolution (a.k.a. season 16 of the OG Criminal Minds series) introduced Voit as the main antagonist. The BAU spent the entire season hunting down the prolific killer, who they nicknamed Sicarius after linking him to 62 murders — and for being the mastermind behind setting up an online network of fellow serial killers.

Related: ‘Criminal Minds’ Cast: Then and Now

Criminal Minds is back with a revival on Paramount+ — but fans have watched the cast change on and off screen since the procedural first debuted. In 2005, viewers were introduced to a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit. The crime drama, which was created by […]

After Voit was arrested — for a single murder — he became a professional criminal consultant for the BAU. Voit’s status as the villain was left up in the air when earlier this season he had significant memory loss that caused him to no longer be labeled as a psychopath.

“This is what I love about it is his brain patterns. His brain is literally physically changed. So in theory, he is a good person and he is a normal person now. But he still has done all those things,” Gilford exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2025. “It’s a really cool concept that even though neurologically this person would never do this again — he has done it. It is just such a crazy concept that there’s no real right answer to. Ultimately I’m like, ‘Well, he did do it all … allegedly.’”

Voit’s unclear future on the show came after Josh Stewart‘s character Will was killed off. In a May 2025 episode, JJ’s (Cook) husband, Will, collapsed after experiencing a headache. The team rushed to the hospital to support JJ, only to find out that Will didn’t make it.

Paramount+ confirmed in March 2026 that Gilford is returning alongside new guest stars: Connor Storrie, Justin Kirk, Yvette Nicole Brown, Clark Gregg, Paul F. Tompkins, Cress Williams, Kofi Siriboe, Lyndon Smith, Richard Cabral, Jeri Ryan, Rob Yang, Nicholas Gonzalez, Inny Clemons, Nicole Pacent, Dash Mihok, Joseph Cross and Cara Jade Myers.

Keep scrolling for what to know about which Criminal Minds characters are coming back — and which might not:

Joe Mantegna

Mantegna is set to return in the role of Rossi, which he has played since taking over for Mandy Patinkin in the original Criminal Minds show.

A. J. Cook

Cook will return to play JJ, who is still mourning the loss of her husband.

“We definitely touch on a lot of the grief phases. And it is not like we shoot one episode and she’s gone through all of it and it’s tied up neatly with a nice bow. That’s not how grief works,” Cook told TV Insider in May 2025. “So this is going to be something that we’re going to see throughout the whole season. And then beyond that.”

She continued: “This never goes away. This now has shaped her into this new single mother, and it will continue shaping her as she now learns to work through life this way. So I’m excited to see what that looks like for her. It’s been a journey already, and it’ll continue to be a journey in Criminal Minds form.”

Kirsten Vangsness

Since Vangsness was in the photo from set, it feels safe to assume that Garcia is not going anywhere any time soon.

Aisha Tyler

Another character who appeared to be safe was Tara (Tyler) after dealing with some issues in her personal life before reuniting with girlfriend Rebecca (Nicole Pacent) in season 18.

Zach Gilford

Gilford — and the rest of the Criminal Minds cast — has acknowledged that Voit can’t remain on the show for good.

“I was supposed to leave the show a while ago and I’ve been pitching, ‘Well, I have to leave at some point. If you’re not going to kill me, we should have a spinoff,’” Gilford quipped to Us in May 2025. “It’s called Criminal Mind: Voit and it follows what Voit is doing when he is out in the world. Somehow he either escapes or he gets released and he is this white whale to the BAU. So Criminal Minds can keep going and having their [unsub] of the week — but they’ll always be like, ‘I wonder if Voit had something to do with this.’”

He is expected to return in season 19.

Ryan-James Hatanaka

While season 18 explored Tyler (Hatanaka) working with the BAU while training to officially join the team, it was revealed that he would likely have to be moved elsewhere to gain experience. Tyler seemed shocked that it could take 10 years for him to officially be part of the BAU team — but so far the show has found ways to keep him working with the rest of the team in the field.

Adam Rodriguez

Rodriguez, who is presumably returning as Luke, recently spoke to Us about how high the stakes are on the show.

“You never want to turn the page [and find out that your character was killed off]. But I will say that thanks to our boss and leader on the show, [showrunner] Erica Messer, no one would be surprised by that. You would definitely get a call long before that was going to happen,” Rodriguez told Us in May 2025. “You would be given a heads up, I can say for sure. But nobody wants to get that call.”

Rodriguez praised Criminal Minds for being a good place to work, adding, “We love being there. This is such a dream job. It is just such a wonderful place to show up and go to work every day. Nobody wants it to be over and nobody wants to leave. So hopefully we get to do the show for a long time.”

He continued: “Hopefully nobody gets sacrificed for the sake of good television and we find some other people that we can build enough merit. Will ended up serving that purpose this year. But I think it just brings something else to the show that fans can enjoy and suffer through with us.”

Paget Brewster

According to the behind the scenes photos, Prentiss is alive and well by the time season 18 will come to an end.

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Matthew Gray Gubler

Despite making a cameo in season 18, Gubler isn’t expected to keep returning consistently in future episodes. He last played Reid on the show when it was still on CBS and didn’t return for the Paramount+ revival.

“We love [Matthew] and he’s always going to be a part of the family. We would love for an opportunity to arise to get him back. And we have tried — and he has tried,” showrunner Erica Messer exclusively told Us in July 2024. “It just hasn’t worked out timing-wise. But it’s not for lack of trying.”

Gubler is currently filming his upcoming CBS series, Einstein.

PlayStation has been under a lot of attention the past few weeks. While the Sony-owned company is about to have an exciting State of Play event, where fans will get a closer look at Insomniac’s highly anticipated Wolverine game, it’s been slightly overshadowed by the gaming platform’s decision to keep raising prices on PlayStation Plus. Overall, though, there’s a lot to be excited about from one of gaming’s biggest voices, and that includes PlayStation’s annual Days of Play event, which went live yesterday on May 27.

The event allows PlayStation 5 players to play their favorite games in exchange for prizes, and this year is shaping up to be one of the platforms biggest yet. That’s because from right now until June 10 at 11:59 PM local time, players who participate will be entered into a sweepstakes where they could win everything from controllers, $100 dollars of PS Store credit, and even an entire years of PlayStation Plus free of charge. To qualify, players will need to play in special events for the sports games like EA Sports Madden NFL 26, NBA 2K26, Tekken 8, EA Sports UFC 5, EA Sports College Football 26, Gran Turismo 7, Asphalt 9: Legends, as well as Mortal Kombat 1, Astro Bot, and Fortnite.

In addition to the Days of Play promotions, Sony has also revealed which PlayStation titles will soon be available for PlayStation members this June. The line-up of free monthly titles includes the Honey I Shrunk the Kids-inspired multiplayer game Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition, the Super Smash Bros.-like fighting game Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, and the grim sci-fi game Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. Additionally, PlayStation also announced that Destiny 2: Legacy Collection will also be releasing on PlayStation Plus’ Game Catalog, shortly following Bungie’s announcement that ongoing updates and support for the popular sci-fi fantasy game would be coming to an end.

PlayStation Has Several Adaptations in the Works

PlayStation has plenty of big games in development, but it’s also been making some huge moves in the space of film and television. Easily one of the most anticipated is Prime Video’s God of War series, which will bring Kratos (Ryan Hurst) and Atreus (Callum Vinson) to live-action in the first time. Also in the works is a Helldivers movie starring Jason Momoa, not to mention Season 3 of HBO’s smash-hit sci-fi epic, The Last of Us.

Stay tuned to Collider for more PlayStation updates.

Modern dating horror has become increasingly fascinated with blurred boundaries, emotional entitlement, and the terrifying realization that intimacy can transform into control quite viciously. Curry Barker’s box office success Obsession weaponizes those fears better than most recent thrillers by understanding something deeply uncomfortable from the beginning: forced love is horrifying before bloodshed ever begins.

The premise sounds simple. Bear (Michael Johnston) uses the supernatural One Willow Wish — he should have just bought the necklace that looked like sunshine — to make his longtime crush Nikki (Inde Navarrette) fall in love with him. What initially feels like an awkward wish-fulfillment fantasy quickly mutates into something uglier, sadder, and genuinely disturbing as Nikki’s affection spirals into emotional instability and dangerous obsession. Barker executes his vision with restraint, grounding the story in emotional realism and building a tightly constructed psychological thriller around infatuation, consent, and the horrifying selfishness required to force someone into loving you.

‘Obsession’ Uses Horror to Explore Emotional Entitlement

Obsession’s smartest decision is refusing to frame Bear as a harmless romantic who simply made a mistake. The movie understands that forcibly manufacturing someone’s love is inherently horrifying regardless of intention. Bear may justify the wish through loneliness and desperation, but the movie never allows the audience to forget the violation at the center of his decision. That emotional foundation gives the horror real weight because the movie never separates its supernatural premise from recognizable human behavior. What makes Obsession especially effective is that Nikki’s obsession does not emerge in a vacuum. Bear is obsessed with Nikki long before the wish happens, and the movie repeatedly emphasizes that his entitlement creates the nightmare consuming both of them. Even as Nikki’s behavior becomes increasingly horrifying, Bear remains obsessed with preserving the fantasy he has created. The horror becomes increasingly uncomfortable because Bear never truly stops believing he deserves the fantasy he forced into existence.

Nikki’s transformation becomes deeply unsettling because she never feels reduced to a simple horror archetype. Even during her most volatile moments, there is a horrifying sense that something human remains trapped underneath the obsession consuming her. The movie repeatedly emphasizes the disconnect between Nikki’s real self and the emotionally fractured version created by Bear’s wish, turning the central relationship into something profoundly uncomfortable to watch. Several scenes become almost unbearable because the audience understands that the feelings Nikki is acting out on are not her own. That loss of autonomy hangs over every interaction and gives even the quieter moments an underlying sense of dread.

Barker’s visual direction amplifies that discomfort through excellent blocking and visual storytelling. Obsession repeatedly pushes Nikki into the shadows during her worst emotional spirals, visually swallowing as the obsession swallows her from within, creating the sense that she is slowly disappearing beneath the surface of the longing that’s controlling her. The pacing deserves enormous credit here as well. Many modern thrillers confuse slowness with tension, stretching ideas beyond their natural lifespan in the name of atmosphere. Obsession never falls into that trap. The movie consistently moves with confidence while still allowing dread to build naturally underneath every interaction, and not a single scene in Obsession is overstays its welcome, proving that Barker perfectly understands exactly how long to let tension simmer before letting it boil over into something uglier.

Inde Navarrette Delivers One of the Year’s Best Horror Performances

Image via Focus Features

As strong as Barker’s direction is, Obsession ultimately lives or dies on Nikki, and Navarrette delivers a genuinely phenomenal performance. The role requires an incredibly difficult balance. Nikki needs to feel vulnerable, manipulative, frightening, emotionally believable, unstable, tragic, and deeply human all at once. A lesser performance could have easily collapsed into exaggerated “crazy” acting once the supernatural elements intensified, but Navarrette grounds every emotional shift in something painfully and recognizably human, even when the supernatural has creeped in.

What makes her work especially impressive is the specificity of it. Navarrette clearly understands the emotional reality of the character she is playing. Every breakdown feels distinct: there is a noticeable difference between Nikki’s panic, devastation, desperation, performative vulnerability, and complete emotional collapse. Even the crying changes from scene to scene depending on Nikki’s emotional state, and that differentiation makes her feel unnervingly real even at her most volatile. The manic mood swings are equally effective because they never feel artificial. Nikki can shift from warmth to emotional instability in a flash, yet Navarrette makes every transition feel organic. That unpredictability becomes terrifying precisely because the performance feels emotionally authentic instead of theatrical. Without Navarrette’s performance, Obsession still functions as a sharp psychological thriller. With her performance, the movie becomes emotionally devastating.

Sound Design And Tension Turn ‘Obsession’ Into An Uncomfortable Experience

Image via Focus Features

The movie’s technical craftsmanship is just as impressive as the performances and writing. Barker demonstrates an excellent understanding of tension throughout the movie, particularly through pacing and sound design. The sound design is vital to Obsession, and integrated technically flawlessly. The atmosphere of the movie feels unstable from beginning to end, as though emotional violence could erupt at any moment. The horror never comes from cheap jumpscares because the movie does not need them. Barker understands that anticipation is often far more uncomfortable than sudden shock.

That emotional volatility eventually erupts during Sarah’s (Megan Lawless) death scene, which easily stands as the movie’s most brutal sequence. I rarely have genuine physical reactions to horror movies, but I couldn’t help but gasp when Nikki shattered the car window and began slamming Sarah’s head against a brick held to the steering wheel. The scene is vicious, chaotic, and shockingly ugly, capturing violence with a level of brutality that is deeply upsetting. What makes the sequence even more effective is where Barker placed it within the story — the scene is initially one of the first moments of genuine intimacy and emotional safety in the entire movie, briefly lulling both the audience and the characters into lowering their guard before Nikki violently crashes through it. Because the movie spends so much time building discomfort and instability beforehand, that temporary feeling of relief becomes disorienting, which makes the brutality land even harder. It also works in the sequence’s favor that Obsession shows immense restraint leading up to it and is not dripping with blood and gore from beginning to end. When Barker unleashes that level of violence, it lands with force because he’s waited until the audience both feels comfortable and thinks they understand what the movie has to offer. Like the window, that understanding is shattered.

And because horror and comedy rely on so many similar elements in pacing and delivery, the movie also deserves credit for its humor. There are several moments that earned uncomfortable laughs from my theater because Barker clearly understands how absurd emotional desperation can become when pushed to horrifying extremes. The comedy never undercuts the tension or turns Obsession into a parody, however. Instead, the humor makes the discomfort sharper. Many of the funniest moments are met with the kind of nervous laughter where audiences immediately realize they probably should not be laughing at all.

That emotional discomfort never really disappears, even once the movie ends, because Barker weaponizes the end credits themselves. Instead of allowing the audience emotional distance once the story concludes, the credits roll with the real Nikki (now cured of the wish) scream-crying and sobbing underneath them, forcing the audience to sit with the emotional devastation Obsession has created. It is an incredibly uncomfortable choice that perfectly fits a movie built around obsession refusing to let go.

‘Obsession’ Hints At Something Much Darker Beneath the Surface

Image via Focus Features

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The movie’s world-building is also surprisingly effective given how little time Barker spends explicitly explaining it. The One Wish Willow itself carries an immediately unsettling set of rules, particularly the revelation that each person only gets one wish permanently, even if they acquire another One Wish Willow later. There is no cheap undo button present in Obsession. Once the damage is done, the consequences become inescapable, except for in death. Barker smartly avoids over explaining the mythology, which makes details like the mysterious customer service representative (voiced by Barker himself) on the hotline even creepier. The moment where he asks Bear, “Do you want to talk to her?” before forcing him to listen to the real Nikki screaming on the other end of the line is one of the movie’s most genuinely chilling scenes. Obsession never explains who or what that voice actually belongs to, but the ambiguity makes the interaction even more disturbing. Whatever he is meant to be, the movie leaves behind the uncomfortable feeling that something much bigger and uglier exists in the shadows of the story we’re watching.

That lingering sense of something larger and more inescapable lurking underneath the story gives Obsession its final layer of dread. The movie never presents the One Wish Willow as a simple cursed object with clean rules and convenient solutions. Every choice carries permanent consequences, and Barker builds the entirety of Obsession around the horrifying reality that emotional damage cannot be undone once it has been inflicted. Barker transforms that idea into a tightly constructed psychological thriller supported by phenomenal performances, disciplined storytelling, excellent sound design, and an atmosphere of constant emotional suffocation. Obsession never lets audiences forget that Nikki’s obsession may be supernatural, but Bear’s entitlement is painfully human.

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Release Date

May 15, 2026

Runtime

108 minutes

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Director

Curry Barker

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Writers

Curry Barker

Producers

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Christian Mercuri, James Harris, Roman Viaris, Haley Nicole Johnson

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Pros & Cons

• Excellent pacing and moody sound design create a sense of dread.
• Careful restraint leads to an explosive culmination.
• The film hinges on Inde Navarette’s performance, and she doesn’t disappoint.

• The supporting characters are underdeveloped.

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