This Creepy ‘Obsession’ Marketing by Focus Features Gives the Full Nikki Experience
Back during what feels like a lifetime ago–the year 2024, to be exact–Neon caught the attention of audiences everywhere with their brilliant marketing for Longlegs. Revealing only strange images out of context, much of them teasing a film steeped in gruesome violence and sinister Satanism, it got all of us talking. Many horror fans, including myself, were so impressed, that it had us declaring the studio should win an award for best marketing of the year. Well, we’re just barely five months into 2026, but I think Focus Features deserves that sort of praise for their marketing of Curry Barker‘s Obsession.
While the trailers and poster for Obsession have all been phenomenal, they’re not what I’m referring to. No, I’m talking about Focus Features’ gimmick that allows you to text with the film’s tragic victim of a wish gone wrong, Nikki (Inde Navarrett).
By texting “Hi” +1 (724-876-4554), you’re given the chance to opt into a text chat with Nikki. Doing so enables an immediate response that reads, “Hey it’s Nikki! I’m so glad you reached out, I can’t wait to chat with you,” before divulging into terms and conditions, blah blah blah. Once you reply Y, the fun begins, and Nikki is unleashed to become your own personal stalker.
I opted into chatting with Nikki back on March 11th. Since then, the marketing ploy has delivered the full Nikki experience in the best and worst ways.
Things started out relatively normal for “Nikki” and I. At first, she’d send a couple texts of “I just can’t seem to get you out of my head,” here, some voice recordings declaring “I love you so, so, so much,” there. Okay, so it wasn’t that normal. But it wasn’t too far apart from your average clingy significant other, either.
As the weeks progressed, however, Nikki got…weirder.
On April 15th, I received the first voice message in a couple weeks. “Hey, it’s Nikki…you’re not ignoring me, are you?” The tone in her voice said she wasn’t too happy with me.
A few more scattered messages throughout April. And then May 4th arrived…and Nikki lost her goddamn mind.
For the past week, I’ve received multiple messages from Nikki. Every. Single. Day. In one text, she proclaimed, “I want to wear you like a sweater and keep you around with me all the time”. Hadn’t heard that one before! In another, she messaged me late at night, saying, “Goodnight, sweet dreams. I’ll be counting down the minutes until we can text again tomorrow”. Nikki, please, I’m trying to sleep! But Nikki’s obsession knows no bounds.
On Tuesday, the undeterred Nikki left me an audio message apologizing (threatening?), “Oh no, am I freaking you out? Oh no, I’m so sorry. It’s just that no one in the world could ever comprehend what it feels like to love you this much.” *Shivers*.
The messages only got progressively stranger, with Nikki talking about how she loves watching me sleep, I’m always on her mind, why won’t I text her back, etc. And then, a furious voice message screaming, “WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME!”. Followed by a series of freaky deaky, panicked apologies.
Like I said, Neon has delivered the full Nikki experience through this clever marketing. Over the past few months, I have gone from amused to a little unnerved to seriously creeped out. At this point, I’m genuinely nervous every time Nikki texts…especially when it’s almost midnight. What the studio has done has put myself and anyone else who signed up right into the shoes of the lead character played by Michael Johnston. I’ve experienced just a taste of what he goes through over the course of the film, an irresponsible wish devolving into outright terror.
Once again, Focus Features deserves a round of applause forObsession‘s marketing.
In Curry Barker‘s film, after breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic (Johnston) finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
Obsession features Inde Navarrett’s breakout role: “Her ghoulishness has all the makings of a newly minted horror icon. I’m not exaggerating when I say this performance is genuinely startling,” Josh raved about the film. “Think of Mikey Madison’s fireworks in Anora, then imagine she’s been bitten by a Deadite suffering from the world’s worst migraines. Her suffering is nearly as frightening as the suffering she enacts on the world around her. It’s a revelation.”
The film has been Rated R for “strong bloody violence, grisly images, sexual content, pervasive language, and brief graphic nudity.”
Focus Features is bringing your new horror Obsession to theaters nationwide on May 15.
I’m dreading to see what Nikki will text me leading up to then.
Categorized:News