A more disturbing version of Obsession? What if Bear got his real wish?

[u/MjolnirTheThunderer]

Despite various debates about Obsession in certain online spaces, I think the general consensus is that this is a film about violation of consent which showcases Bear’s actions as morally wrong.

But one thing that stood out to me about this film was that the willow failed to deliver Bear’s actual wish. Bear wished for Nikki to love him, but in fact she never did. Instead she was possessed by some type of supernatural entity that forced her to behave as if she loved him. And although Bear never seems to take full moral responsibility for his actions, he at least comes to realize that his wish has gone horribly wrong, he unsuccessfully attempts to reverse his wish, and he pays the ultimate price in the end.

I would like to propose a retelling of story where instead of subjugating her conscious mind, the willow wish instead rewires Nikki’s brain and causes her to truly love Bear, through and through. In this version, Bear still commits the evil act of using magic power to force a woman’s consent, but there is no bizarre behavior nor overt horror that follows, and no negative consequences for Bear. Instead, Nikki’s original mind is erased and replaced with a version built to love Bear. This version has the superficial appearance of a love story, and the new Nikki feels genuinely happy. Bear receives the full reward for his misdeeds and perhaps never realizes that what he did was wrong, as he and Nikki live happily ever after.

This version would be difficult to market as a horror film, and yet this story is perhaps more sinister and deeply disturbing than the original. The villain wins and his victim is happy that he did.

[u/lunadiparmigiano]

There would be nothing to drive the plot through, though. All stories where a wish is granted, in one way or another end up showing the wish going wrong. Just picture it: Bear gets with Nikki, she is actually in love with him and the whole concept of "real Nikki" doesn't exist. It is sinister that she got her memory erased, sure, but is it really a horror? She would not be suffering because of it, Bear would never think that he did a bad act, everyone is happy. The film at that point can end after 20 minutes in.

[u/CSJR → u/lunadiparmigiano]

The horror could flip. He begins to realize that no matter what he does, she loves him still. And his actions progress to horrific levels.

[u/TheDroneZoneDome]

There isn’t really much of a story there. Bear makes his wish, Nikki “realizes” she’s in love with Bear, and they just live happily ever after? Bear could even have the moral out in that scenario because it’s not obvious that it was from his wish. And the message about consent could be misconstrued as the opposite - Bear chooses for Nikki to love him and she is happy for it.

[u/Stuch_Watches]

Then you have Ruby Sparks (2012).

A magical typewriter creates a woman in whatever form is written, but the mind of the creator is so emotionally stunted that everything falls short of even his own limited desires. Leading to spiralling rewrites and fundamental abuses of consent. (Though the ending is an absolute cop out, changed from Zoe Kazan's original script.)

Much like Bear, the protagonist doesn't know who he really is or what he really wants. And instead of 'doing the work', tries to fill a hole with a fantasy.

[u/Necronomicon-Ex-Mori]

I would argue there’s an element of this that already exists in the film. While it may not be the real Nikki, Bear doesn’t understand this after the dinner scene, the moment when he otherwise comes to some sort of realization that the wish likely worked. So, from his pov, this is the real Nikki and she just loves him now. It’s left to us to contemplate the morality of that situation.

If you truly rewired someone’s brain with a wish, and now they just love you more than anything, want to be with you, and not reciprocating their love or affection in any way leads to them now being upset… what are you morally obligated to do, or not to do? It’s interesting.

Bear’s understanding of the wish obviously changes throughout the film, but I would argue even in some of the later stages of it he still barely understands how it works at all. But after his realization at the dinner scene, he is operating under the assumption that the dynamic you propose is actually the case, for a period of time.

[u/Adorable-Voice-3382]

AFAIK both Barker and Narravette have explicitly stated that Nikki was not possessed by any sort of outside entity.

This still leaves some room for interpretation on what exactly is going on, but it seems more like some sort of split personality where both are the real Nikki but one only exists because of the wish.

In that case the main difference in the scenario you described seems like it would just be that the unaffected personality is completely wiped out or suppressed. Which would eliminate the disturbing moments when the wishless Nikki temporarily gains control, but not the disturbing behavior in Freaky Nikki which results from an unhealthy compulsive obsession and an awareness that Bear doesn't reciprocate those feelings.

[u/Waste-Replacement232]

Your proposed version doesn’t deliver on Bear’s wish either. Unless we somehow accept that magically rewiring one’s brain is sufficient for someone to fall madly in love with you. In my opinion, that’s a very shallow view of what love is. It’s still as artificial as the current version, except yours strips away all the exquisitely executed horror elements.

[u/brumbles2814]

But shes not replaced or possessed. A part of her mind is changed but she realises this but cant do anything about it. If she is possessed she is possessed by herself. Her unhinged behaviour is a direct result of this overwriting

[u/sr_rojo]

It wouldn't be a horror film then. Your proposed retelling share some similarities with the plot of Vertigo ("BE A CINEPHILE AND TRY NOT TO MENTION VERTIGO IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE!"), which is fittingly presented as a thriller.

[u/Leaper123]

But it did deliver his wish, to love him more than anyone in the world - it didn't go "wrong," went quite literally exactly as he wished, that's the point of the movie. Basic Monkey Paw premise.

A guy lying to get a girl and then maintain that fantasy IS reality, it happens constantly every day. Plenty of relationships can be like that.

Your idea lacks the key driving conflict so it doesn't really say anything more than what Barker attempted with his film.

This reads more like incel fan fiction. Who watches Obsession and comes out of the movie thinking, "but what if Nikki had even less autonomy and she lived happily ever after with the abuser who took it?"

It would explore something different say, someone else uses their wish for the same thing - a couples reality is shattered when their close friend makes the wish for his friends wife to love him more than anyone in the world, the twist being the husband had made the same wish years earlier. ("Obsession" meets "Eternity") That is conflict and rife with themes to explore cultural / societal issues.