It's magical submission used to abuse her because he's obsessed with the fantasy of who he wants her to be, and he refuses to accept being friendzoned by Nikki in the previous bar scene. Curry Barker has said that Inde Navarrette gave that scene a different tone from what he originally wrote in the script, and that her change worked better because it made it clear that Nikki friendzones Bear.

It doesn't matter that Bear's intention was to be loved. That universal desire, which we might recognize as deeply human, is manifested here in a selfish, abusive, and cruel way. Letterboxd user Emerson brilliantly reflects on this intention: "The cat overdosing on Bear's grandma's oxycodone stands out as being extremely odd and surreal, but it only serves as parallel to Bear later overdosing. Are we supposed to believe his need for love is as innocent as the cat's?" letterboxd.com/emersonforest/film/obsession-2025/

But we're not only talking about Nikki being stripped of her autonomy. We're also talking about her being denied any possibility of redemption, and then being punished on top of that, which is both sadistic and deeply odd.

Curry Barker demonstrates yet another lack of empathy, as well as striking misogyny, when he recently said during a Q&A that his next film will take place in the same universe as Obsession and will include a reference through a newspaper stating that Nikki was imprisoned for killing three people. Wow.

It's worth remembering that the idea of Nikki surviving wasn't in the original script. Bear's overdose was followed by Nikki shooting herself. It was Inde Navarrette, whose performance in an additional take left the crew deeply moved, who changed the original idea.

What is particularly unsettling when reading the script is that, throughout its 98 pages, Curry Barker never once acknowledges Bear's abuse. On the contrary, he writes in the language of a romance novel. For example:

page 33: "He succumbs to her kisses, each one intensifying their shared passion."

page 46: "He's dreamed of this moment his entire adult life." / "kiss slowly, with intensity"

page 47: "their passion"

page 51: "The romance is palpable."

page 98: "this tragic love story"

COOKING IS A BASIC LIFE SKILL .

Fuck your Negativity I don't need or want it in my life it's just poison ☠️