Obsession Star Inde Navarrette Talks Her Spellbinding Performance in the Hit Horror Thriller

Inde Navarrette, the breakout star of Curry Barker’s horror hit Obsession, says she is much more of a horror fan than she originally suggested during the film’s early press tour. In a recent Zoom interview, Navarrette clarified that she loves the genre, but is selective because horror affects her deeply. She recalled how Hereditary left her so unsettled that she ran to her car afterward, laughing about how intensely scary movies can stay with her.

In Obsession, Navarrette delivers a performance that has drawn strong praise for its emotional range, moving from quiet desperation to fear, paranoia, jealousy, hurt, and explosive physicality. The film centers on Bear, played by Michael Johnston, a shy music store worker who has long had feelings for Nikki, Navarrette’s character. When Nikki says she is leaving town soon, Bear uses a novelty wish item called a “One Wish Willow” to make her love him more than anyone else. The wish works, but Nikki’s affection quickly becomes unnatural, obsessive, and increasingly dangerous.

Navarrette said she immediately understood the emotional complexity of the story and the tragic nature of Nikki’s situation. She noted that while Bear’s wish may not begin with evil intent, he becomes morally compromised once he realizes Nikki has no control over what is happening to her. For Navarrette, the most horrifying part of the story is the loss of bodily autonomy and consent, as Nikki’s real self appears to fight through the spell in brief moments of awareness.

The film premiered to major attention at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025, where it was quickly picked up by Focus Features and Blumhouse for a reported $15 million after being made for just $1 million. That gamble has paid off strongly at the box office. Obsession opened with $17.2 million in North America from 2,615 theaters over its first weekend, then continued to perform well in its second frame. Through Thursday, it had earned nearly $30.3 million domestically and $7.6 million internationally, reaching a worldwide total of $37.9 million in its first week.

The movie’s success has also sparked online debate about who is really the villain. Navarrette said the film is compelling because it forces viewers to question Bear’s choices as much as Nikki’s behavior. She argued that even if Bear’s actions start from desperation rather than malice, his decision to continue the relationship after seeing Nikki’s lack of agency makes him responsible for what follows.

For Navarrette, Obsession is a milestone because it is her first horror film. After early roles in Denton’s Death Date, Wander Darkly, 13 Reasons Why, and four seasons on Superman & Lois, she said the experience challenged her in a new way and helped build confidence for future projects. She described her years on Superman & Lois as a kind of acting education because she worked with a different director each episode. Navarrette said she is proud of what she accomplished in Obsession and believes the role showed her how much more she is capable of doing.