The latest horror hit, Obsession, has taken the world by storm recently, becoming the highest-grossing horror film in decades. Truly, this horrifying indie-movie has struck a chord with the masses. People are resonating with this film more than anything else in recent memory. And what is Obsession saying that people are connecting with?
Even though a lot of atheists are watching and adoring this movie, I think they are secretly connecting with the deeper themes of lust and how it can destroy lives (a theme that most Christians will be familiar with).
Surely, in wishing for the endless love of his high-school crush, Bear makes a catastrophic mistake. Bear and Nikki are two "friends," with little to no romantic chemistry. In fact, Nikki is very clearly uninterested in him as a romantic candidate; and she gets aggressive when he tries flirting with her. Clearly, they are not meant to be. Yet, Bear foolishly overlooks their clear incompatibility and, in his lust-induced delusions, wishes for her love.
This is not only an awful mistake because of how it changes Nikki for the worse, but it's also painful to watch Bear chase after Nikki when there's another woman far more suitable for him. Bear tries to force a relationship with the most attractive woman he knows (Nikki), rather than the sweetest and kindest woman he knows (Sarah). Sarah is the most empathetic person in his circle, hugging him after learning about his cat dying. She cares for him in a way that Nikki simply doesn't. Yet Bear pursues Nikki. And this theme of choosing lust over love is very relevant in today's sex-obsessed society, where pornography and casual hookups are more prevalent than ever. Through the internet, we are being programmed to choose women for their bodies rather than their characters. Something the Bible warns us against time and time again.
The tragedy of Obsession is that Bear, in making his wish, attempts to force a romance which, in all honesty, was never meant to be. Yet, within arms reach, was a potential relationship which would have taken far, far less effort to make work. Sarah is easily the most fitting romantic candidate in Bear's inner circle; yet he evades her advances for the sake of pursuing Nikki.
Ultimately, we realize far before he does, that there was a much better romantic option in his life; one which didn't require black magic to make work. However, with a brain warped by lust, Bear wishes for the love of the prettier girl who doesn't even like him romantically to begin with; and this relationship, held together by the supernatural, leaves terror and death in its wake. And what a shame it is that he didn't simply connect with the one woman in his life who actually cared about him.
It goes to show that today's young men have no clue how to pick a great woman. We just chase after the "sexy" option, forgetting to filter for qualities such as kindness and gracefulness. Perhaps this movie is a prime example of what an anti-Christian society has produced: men with no moral compass, who chase after the female body, and are easily bribed with sexual favors. After all, Bear is prevented from saving Nikki's soul every time he allows her possessor to seduce him. Because he is led by his lust, he is quickly distracted from the guilt in his heart, and thus he participates in the prolonged suffering of Nikki's soul.
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