Be careful what you wish for. That’s the well-worn premise behind “Obsession,” Curry Barker’s clever if familiar horror film. The monkey’s paw at the film’s center is an odd little gadget called a One Wish Willow, found in a murky shop by Bear (Michael Johnston), a young man who’s long had an unrequited crush on his colleague and best friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette, known for The CW's "Superman & Lois"). If you break the One Wish Willow in two, its packaging promises, your wish will come true. In a weak moment, frustrated by his inability to tell Nikki what he feels, Bear blurts out a wish: that Nikki would love him more than anyone in the world. Hoo boy. You can probably figure out what happens next.

And it’s that very predictability that makes “Obsession” work: You know exactly where this is going, but for the most part it’s a pleasantly shivery (and eventually bloody) ride, anchored by two strong performances. Johnston, known for MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” effectively conveys Bear’s sweetly moony yearning for Nikki in the early scenes — and his slowly dawning horror upon realizing that he’s literally created a monster. (In one bedroom scene, Johnston pulls off the feat of looking entirely thrilled and utterly miserable simultaneously.) Navarrette, playing a woman possessed, is wickedly good, alternating a too-bright smile with hell-reaching guttural screams (“WHY WON’T YOU LOVE ME???”); at one point, the camera just eerily stays on her as that grin becomes a rictus and she’s seemingly transformed into a terrifying mannequin, unable to move if Bear isn’t around.

“Obsession” is clearly the work of a young filmmaker in love with a genre: it’s overlong for its simple plot, and the literal darkness of virtually every scene is overwhelming. (Often scenes are so dimly lit we can’t see Navarrette’s face; an odd choice, as the actor’s so skilled you feel like you’re missing something.) But it has a nice, understated sense of place and texture (the characters work at Cassell’s Music, the longtime independent Los Angeles-area music store featured in “Wayne’s World” that recently closed its doors after 78 years), and Barker has a knack for jumpscares — and for making a wildly fanciful story feel real. “This is all I’ve ever wanted,” says Bear sadly, late in the film; it’s an unexpectedly moving moment of heartbreak.

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'OBSESSION'

3 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for strong bloody violence, grisly images, sexual content, pervasive language, and brief graphic nudity)

Running time: 1:48

How to watch: Now in theaters

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