The dark inspiration behind this year’s ‘most f*cked up horror movie’

The year’s buzziest horror film, which has quickly crept into the cultural zeitgeist over the past month, draws inspiration from something dark and genuinely chilling.

Obsession, a supernatural psychological horror, written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker in his theatrical debut, has already broken some major records. Spectacular word of mouth helped it grow in its second week in a way that is not commonly seen at the box office.

Named the 'most f*cked up horror movie' of the year, (we can assure you, this is a compliment) Obsession had a budget of less than $1 million and went on to make a staggering $151 million at the box office all in all, proving once and for all that there's still an appetite for a spooky flick.

The treacherous One Wish Willow (Focus Feature)

It follows Bear (played by Michael Johnston), a music store employee who buys a supernatural toy that grants him his wish for his friend Nikki (played by Inde Navarrette) to fall in love with him.

However, he quickly learns that you should be careful what you wish for.

Moviegoers have been left wondering if the One Wish Willow front he film is real. It draws inspo from a very old folklore tale about willow trees.

Although One Wish Willow was created for the film, willow trees have long been associated with grief, heartbreak, death, and the supernatural in Britain and the rest of Europe.

One old English legend claimed that willows could uproot themselves at night and stalk travellers walking close to willow groves.

Be careful what you wish for (Focus Feature)

The trees also became symbols of lost love, heartbreak and sorrow. This association was strengthened through literature, with one of the most well-known examples being Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Ophelia’s fate is linked to a willow tree and in Othello, Desdemona sings the “Willow Song” before she dies.

And Obsession fans will know, unrequited love is a huge plot point, although the film was not directly inspired by mythology.

What are fans saying about Obsession?

After watching the film, fans rushed to social media to share their verdicts, explainers and an avalanche of fan theories which only prolonged the chills up my spine.

"Obsession was truly the most f*cked up horror movie I’ve seen in a long time. That girl scared the sh*t out of me. He could’ve just told her he liked her, and none of this would have happened," penned one X user.

A second gushed: "I watched Obsession today and my god, that's the best horror movie I've seen this year.

"It made me jump and squirm in my seat, there's so much I can say, everything was sooo good, even the cinematography left me stunned. 10/10."

"Been a horror movie fan since I was a kid and Obsession, hands down, is one of the best movies I’ve seen. Still thinking about it weeks later. Can't wait to watch it again," confessed a third.