“I wish Nikki Freeman loved me more than anyone else in the f–ing world.” Snap. Be careful what you wish for.
On May 15, 2026, a low-budget indie horror film called “Obsession” was released, and it cast a spell on a good portion of the world. “Obsession” follows the story of Bear and Nikki, platonic friends with strictly no benefits. Except, Bear is infatuated with Nikki and wants nothing more than to be noticed by her. Nikki is a gorgeous, kind and gentle aspiring author with big dreams, until one little wish changes everything.
One ill-fated night, Bear goes to a local crystal shop in hopes of finding a gift for Nikki. He stumbles upon a “One Wish Willow,” a piece of a tree claiming to have the power to make any one wish come true if you’re brave enough to break it. Bear buys it for Nikki, but later that night, frustrated with his own cowardice, he breaks it himself and wishes for Nikki’s unconditional love. Almost immediately, what Bear thought was a harmless gimmick turns truly sinister.
What Bear didn’t know was that the second he made his wish, the Nikki he knew was gone. In her place, a version of Nikki remains that wants nothing more than Bear, but it isn’t the fairytale romance he imagined. Where normal Nikki was kind, wish Nikki is volatile; where normal Nikki was gentle, wish Nikki is violent. Wish Nikki is truly uncontrollable and quickly becomes a terrifying force to be reckoned with.
Still, most who saw the movie can agree that Bear is the true villain. Bear watches as the girl of his dreams is caged into a nightmare of his creation and does nothing. He knows the girl he is with is not really Nikki and still continues to bask in her undivided attention. He even calls the One Wish Willow hotline at one point and asks to change his wish, not cancel it, just alter it. Like the coward he is.
When the operator on the line refuses Bear’s request, he says, “Do you want to talk to her?” Then, the line fills with the real Nikki’s screams. Still, Bear won’t let go of his “Obsession.”
The most disturbing and villainous part of Bear’s behavior is that he doesn’t actually care whether Nikki is happy. The wording of his wish proves just that. Bear doesn’t wish for the confidence to tell Nikki how he feels or wish that he and Nikki could have a romantic relationship. Instead, he wishes for her to love him more than she loves anyone else, including herself. Bear never stops for a moment to think of what Nikki might want, and that is the true horror of this film.
Even when the real Nikki breaks through and begs Bear to kill her and end her suffering, his only reaction is “What’s so bad about being with me?” He shows no remorse for the autonomy he’s taken from Nikki, only focusing on how her behavior affects him. Wish Nikki is an alternate consciousness developed specifically to respond to Bear’s needs, which deepens the film’s exploration of womanhood to an exploration of artificial intelligence.
Wish Nikki appears to feed off Bear’s energy, responding to his every thought and whim without hesitation. On several occasions, she confuses details and attempts to reset interactions, just like any AI chatbot. She isn’t Nikki at all. She is a version created to satisfy Bear, and isn’t that exactly what he wanted?
Wish Nikki exists purely for him, designed to satisfy his wishes even when doing so makes her violent and eventually murderous. This apparent AI commentary adds to how unsettling the film is. AI is praised for being adaptable and learning the preferences of its users, but what happens when we become so accustomed to getting the answer we want that we refuse to hear the truth? This is the risk we take when we rely on artificial intelligence to guide us through everyday life.
The whole film, Bear takes the easy way out. He curls up and plays dead at any sign of trouble, and he lets others take the pain and suffering. To the very end, he never takes accountability for his actions. He never apologizes, though an apology could never undo what he did. Bear is why women “choose the bear,” and he is a cautionary tale against taking the easy way to get the reaction you want.
Be careful what you wish for.
Watch “Obsession” now on Prime Video and Peacock.