Curry Barker’s horror hit Obsession has become one of the year’s biggest movies, but its latest awards-season move has left some viewers deeply disappointed.
The film has officially been submitted to the upcoming Golden Globes, and the decision has sparked backlash from viewers who feel the movie is far too disturbing for the category it has been placed in.
Its themes have also taken on an uncomfortable resonance amid the renewed attention surrounding the disturbing Cornell University a**ault case.
“It’s so tone deaf!!! This has to be a joke,” one person fumed online.
Obsession is now competing as a comedy despite many viewers labeling it a horror movie about a woman losing control of her own body
Obsession follows a young man whose wish for a woman to love him becomes a terrifying nightmare when that desire strips away her autonomy.
The film has been widely discussed for its disturbing premise and violent turns, but it also contains moments of dark humor, particularly in Inde Navarrette’s performance.
Her exaggerated expressions and chaotic reactions have become a major part of the movie’s viral appeal, with clips and memes spreading widely online.
That tonal combination is now being used to justify the film’s Golden Globes placement.
Obsession has been submitted for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, while Navarrette is competing in the corresponding female acting category.
The decision surprised many, who had expected the horror hit to pursue the Drama categories.
The category decision has prompted a particularly strong reaction from viewers who see the film primarily as a disturbing horror story rather than a comedy.
Some viewers have labeled the decision “tone deaf,” drawing comparisons to the disturbing Cornell University case
“The film is nowhere remotely close to being a musical or a comedy,” one person argued.
Another wrote, “Horror movie about r**e submitted as a comedy idc if it had dark comedy elements are you f**king kidding me.”
“The movie failed to take the subject matter seriously, the audience failed to take the subject matter seriously, so it was inevitable,” one commenter wrote.
“I wonder how the movie might have been different if a woman had directed and written it, or maybe it would have been the same.”
Others expressed, “Not a surprise if you’ve known how stupid the Golden Globes have been since forever. They literally lump any genre film into musical/comedy, even if it’s clearly so far detached from either of those criteria.”
The timing has also made the Golden Globes submission particularly uncomfortable for some viewers.
A former Cornell University student, identified as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit in September alleging that she was dru**ed and s**ually a**aulted by seven men at a Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.
A former female student has filed a lawsuit alleging she was s**ually a**aulted by 7 male fraternity members at a Cornell frat house
The defendants have denied or disputed aspects of the claims.
The case has recently returned to national attention after Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reportedly announced that the criminal investigation would be reopened and that evidence would be presented to a grand jury.
Cornell has also agreed to an independent investigation into how it handled the allegations.
According to the lawsuit, the woman alleges that she was incapacitated after consuming al**hol and dr**s and was unable to consent.
The renewed attention on the case has also brought the broader issue of consent and female autonomy back into public conversation, which is why some viewers have connected it to the themes they see in Obsession.
“It’s just that it even seems like a tasteless joke to shove Obsession into the ‘Musical or Comedy’ category to compete at the Golden Globes and announce it while the case of those degenerates from Cornell University is still fresh on everyone’s lips,” one commenter fumed.
The Golden Globes’ unusual genre system has long left horror fans questioning where such movies belong
The user doubled down, writing, “Everything’s a mess no matter how you look at it.”
Another said, “OBSESSION being poised as a comedy/musical in this current climate regarding the Cornell r**ists, leaves such an intense sour taste in my mouth.”
Notably, Obsession is far from the first genre-bending film to take this route.
Golden Globes have separate top movie categories for Drama and Musical or Comedy, leaving genre-bending films with a choice that can become contentious.
Under the current rules, the category should reflect a movie’s overall intent, tone, and content.
That means a film doesn’t need to be a conventional musical or straightforward comedy to qualify for the Musical or Comedy category, as long as its overall tone fits that description.
That flexibility has previously allowed movies such as Get Out and The Substance, both of which contain substantial horror, thriller, or satirical elements, to compete there.
“That’s what made me so mad… The whole thing is like a dark take about patriarchy, r**e culture, and trauma,” one netizen wrote
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