Gen Z and Other Horrors

Gen Z is a fascinating generation. I have never met a Gen Z individual that I would describe as clueless. Most of them, at the very least, have a distinct street sense about them. Being social media natives, the entire generation has a dry yet healthy sense of humor and can laugh their way through anything. They also dress better than any other generation on average and I’m not ashamed to admit that. However, they are probably the most failed generation we’ve ever seen. They have all the tools and no way to use them. They were raised for a world we were actively phasing out, ensuring that so many of them were already left behind before they even graduated high school. As a result, a lot of the Gen Z people I’ve met are borderline despondent and rarely speak positively about the future.

But they still have to come of age just like everyone else and they deserve media to accompany that process. Well for the most part, they haven’t gotten it. So much of the Gen Z representation on screen feels completely incongruent with reality. They’re always portrayed as influencers in situations where it doesn’t make sense (one day we’ll revisit the Gossip Girl reboot) or toothless activists whose morals change based on who they find hot that day (this can be done right but usually isn’t). Obviously the solution is to let Gen Z in the writer’s room1. But what could they make? What genre could possibly capture the cognitive dissonance of being collectively shoved aside? Well, with the recent triumph of Obsession, we can comfortably say it’s horror.

Horror is unique in that it’s the only genre that doesn’t require too much subtlety. If you have a societal message you are trying to communicate, you can whack the audience over the head with it openly. As long as your writing is tight, you can get away with just about anything. What horror requires is a deep understanding of dissonance and subversion. The best horror films create a gap between what we believe something to be and what it actually is. Who better to execute that than a member of the dissonance generation? I was reminded of that after the credits wrapped on Obsession as I was left stunned, stressed the hell out, but most importantly, actually scared.

Obsession is a story about Bear, a directionless and feckless young man who harbors feelings for his coworker, Nikki. Rather than tell her directly, he makes a wish on a toy from a woo-woo crystal shop. This wish is that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world. To his surprise the wish comes true and to his eventual horror, it’s stays that way. As Nikki’s behavior becomes more disturbing, we hone in on Bear as he seemingly does everything he can NOT to deal with the situation or take accountability. On its face, this is the “be careful what you wish for” story that we’re all familiar with. Yet, in the hands of a capable Gen Z horror filmmaker, it becomes something much deeper.

Relationships are especially tense for Gen Z. Growing up online means miscommunications happen often. Also, in a world where your most vulnerable moments can make it onto another’s fyp, people are reluctant to open up. Obsession touches on this fear of vulnerability by making it the very thing that could’ve saved everyone from their fates. A simple conversation with Nikki would’ve fixed everything or at least, set Bear on the path to moving on. Bear’s friendships are also an indictment on his life. As far as we can see, his best friend is Ian. Another young man who, rather than be honest with Bear, sabotages him. As ineffectual as Bear is, he has no way to properly rectify that situation. Bear’s life is a disaster and it’s one I know a lot of Gen Z can see themselves in.

Also, Gen Z men are undoubtedly… going through something. For some, they are forced, usually by their algorithms into an environment rife with anger and a focus on the actions of women. You could be a teen boy looking for advice on lifting and after a few scrolls you’re dropped in front of a 25 year old man telling you that all women are after your money, you should be on an anabolic steroid, and that your maxilla is recessed. However, this is only a subset. A lot of young men have just been left to grow listless, never developing the tools to be effective people. Bear is one such young man. He isn’t angry or violent, he’s just there. No ambitions. No goals. Completely unactualized and horribly passive. Obsession says that while this isn’t his fault, it is absolutely his problem. His refusal to take action or accountability spells doom and not just for himself. Nikki will have to live with this trauma for the rest of her life, as women often have to when they enter into relationships with men who expect them to provide a purpose. Communicating the depth these issues in this way is much more effective than an interview on 60 minutes.

Technically, Obsession is simplistic yet effective. They lowkey have to with a budget that small. The spaces utilized are small but incredibly detailed. Bear’s home is absolutely a home in which an old woman died in and left behind. Bear’s refusal to make any personalized changes to the space speak to his passivity in a brilliant way. The directing is also tight and you can tell that the actors had the space needed to settle into their characters. More than anything though, the acting is a standout. Newcomer Inde Navarrette is absolutely electric as Nikki and shines throughout. Michael Johnston also plays Bear with an honestly that is key for understanding a character like Bear.

Even better, the script is funny as hell. Folks, this is the key to great horror. Humor helps the horror set in and Barker obviously understood that. The line between horror and comedy is so thin anyway that it only makes sense to play around with them. This is something I loved about Sinners and I love it here2. We are for sure entering a horror renaissance and I can safely say that Obsession will be remembered as one of the tentpole films of this movement.

2

My rating is a 9/10. This being his debut is absolutely insane.

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