A possessed woman, a monstrous pirate, and a fluffy orange unicorn might seem like obvious horror villains. They frighten people, commit violence, and give audiences something to fear. But identifying the character who looks most frightening does not necessarily identify who is responsible for the horror.
“Obsession” and “Backrooms” invite viewers to look beyond the monster’s appearance and consider their desires as well as the circumstances behind their choices. These films do not offer the same explanation for evil. Instead they ask a similar question: Are we afraid of the monster itself or of the people and behaviors that allowed it to exist?
Nikki Freeman from “Obsession” offers the clearest example of why that distinction matters. Played by Inde Navarrette, Nikki begins as a woman who cares about her longtime friend Bear (Michael Johnston), without sharing his romantic feelings. Bear responds by using a One-Wish Willow, a cursed object, to wish that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world.
His wish comes true, but with a price. The relationship is not one that Nikki chooses. The supernatural force controlling her transforms affection into violent obsession. Although she is the most visibly frightening character, her transformation begins with Bear’s decision to override her feelings. Writer-director Curry Barker has emphasized that portraying Nikki as a victim was as important as making her scary.
A post by the official “Obsession” Instagram account provided a picture of Nikki’s mugshots and case report, revealing that she had to suffer further from consequences of something that, in reality, she had no choice in. The person whose body carries out the violence is also its victim, making the film even more unsettling.
“Backrooms” complicates responsibility for evil in a different way. When Mary (Renate Reinsve) follows Clark (Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor) into an endless maze, he knocks her unconscious and ties her to a chair when she awakens. Although there is a killer clown that appears, Clark becomes dangerous before the giant pirate creature attacks. Clark believes that Pirate Clark is the representation of his own deep anger. In this sense, the monster is frightening because it exaggerates something that already existed in the human character.
This doesn’t make Clark another Nikki, though. Her loss of control is part of her victimization, where Clark’s distress explains his actions without making them harmless. Together, these films show why “monster” and “villain” are not always interchangeable. The bigger question is not who commits the violence, but who has control and who loses it. decide to reign terror upon people. It’s through development, through something drastic they’ve suffered.
