Obsession

Wow, this movie is fantastic! The tension and dramatic irony the whole time as you know how it will go bad and the protagonist keeps trying to tell himself he can make it work. I have a thing about doppelgangers et al so I found Inde Navarrette's performance incredibly creepy (also just incredible like all the actors in this). It does a great job taking the feel of an unhealthy relationship and then slipping into horror before you notice. I found that it also draws on the horror of becoming unrecognizable to yourself in a relationship where you feel insecure and how an obsessive relationship is more about the obsessee than the object of their obsession, although the literal plot is different of course.

From the feel of the movie, I think fans of Talk to Me or Weapons would like it. As we know from Truth or Dare or the Smile movies, a creepy smile can go along way and wow Navarrette's smiles are creepy. There's a little gore that I found cheap when the actual social-interaction based scares are so much more effective, but nothing too over-the-top. I think it's a good example of telling just enough background to the horror but not overexplaining like some movies where they insert a Babylonian demon or something at the last minute (not to name any names). The pacing is good and the tension builds over time with no real relief since every seeming break from it gives way to fresh horror. Also I loved the aesthetic of the One-Wish Willow as an old-timey collectible. I didn't ever feel scared watching this (rarely do in movies), but I did feel uncomfortable and creeped out!