Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Curry Barker, ‘Obsession‘ follows Bear and Nikki, two co-workers whose lives change drastically after a chance encounter with a novelty toy called One Wish Willow. True to its name, the toy supposedly holds the power to fulfill a single wish, and for Bear, that wish is a deeply personal one. However, his sweeping actions have an effect that couldn’t have been predicted, as something changes in his dynamic with Nikki soon thereafter. Far from a love story, however, the movie turns into a supernatural horror tale, culminating in Nikki getting a One Wish Willow of her own, and a single chance to make a wish that can alter life’s trajectory yet again. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Nikki Most Likely Wishes For Bear to Love Her Back Just as She Does
At the end of ‘Obsession,’ it is implied that Nikki wishes for Bear to love her as much as she loves him, bringing the story full circle. An important distinction to be made here, however, is that it’s the possessed version of Nikki that makes this wish in alignment with her own, twisted perspective on love. To that end, it’s almost as if Bear’s own wish bounces back on him, erasing his autonomy and imposing forced feelings much like how he did to Nikki. That said, we never get to hear the exact phrase Nikki uses after breaking her One Wish Willow, which means that all interpretations of her wish are ultimately speculative. What we do know, though, is that Bear’s final smile and kiss are markedly out of character and strongly point towards him being possessed as well.
Going through with this interpretation, a rather ironic twist emerges, as it’s Nikki’s wish to be deeply loved by Bear that ultimately causes his death. After attempting to kill himself by taking his grandmother’s medication, Bear immediately regrets his decision and tries to throw up the pills. However, Nikki’s wish seemingly has an instant effect on his actions, as he seemingly ignores his impending death and walks out of the washroom with eyes full of love. This strange turn of events lends itself to certain ambiguities, as there is no clear reason as to why Bear would go on with his suicide in any scenario. If the wish is to really take effect, Bear would ideally put even more effort into saving his own life, so as to live a long and loving life with Nikki. That is not what happens, though, and Bear dies shortly after asserting his “love” for Nikki.
Nikki’s Final Wish Becomes the Reason Bear Dies
The answer to the mystery of Bear’s death can be found in the phrasing initially used by him when he makes a wish. When he asks Nikki to love him more than anyone else, that includes her, too. It’s the reason she is forced to take a self-destructive path, both on a physical and psychological level. The scene where she stands at the same spot for an entire day is perhaps the clearest indicator of her abandoning any sort of self-preservation. As such, if Nikki’s wish is designed specifically to make Bear love her equally as much as she loves him, which is a sentiment she has brought before, that would mean that Bear, too, gives up on his self-preservation. It might not have even crossed his mind that he was dying in that moment, as all he could do at that point was to follow the wish and blindly love Nikki.
Another interpretation for the string of events that begins with Nikki’s wish is that a part of Bear might have genuinely responded to his subconscious death drive, which is now actively being suppressed by the persona that has been created solely to love Nikki. We see something similar unfold in Nikki’s case as well, as the “real” Nikki begs Bear to kill her if it means that this nightmare can end. Though Bear doesn’t spend a lot of time in a possessed state, this might be his way of giving up in the face of the chaos that has clearly gone past the point of no return. Even to the end, a part of him refuses to take accountability for his role in Nikki’s abuse, as he attempts suicide mainly to end these horrors. Though the possessed Nikki firmly believes that her wish was made with love, it unwittingly forces Bear to confront the realities he helped create.
Read More: Obsession: Is One Wish Willow Real? Rules and Meaning Explained
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