Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has heaped praise on the supernatural horror film Obsession, applauding its filmmaking, editing and sound design.
Taking to X, RGV said the film has challenged the long-held belief that only big-star, big-budget spectacle films can pull audiences to theatres.
“Am OBSESSED with OBSESSION. Till even a few weeks before, the whole industry believed that only big-starred, massive-budgeted, VFX spectacle films will pull audiences into theatres, and now OBSESSION reset that button,” he wrote.
RGV pointed out that the film has succeeded without depending on the usual commercial elements.
According to him, Obsession has no big stars, no grand locations, no lavish production design, no foreign shoots and no top technicians. He also claimed that, despite reports suggesting a budget of Rs 7 crore, the film’s actual making cost could not have been more than Rs 70 lakh, excluding technical fees.
He noted that the film was shot almost entirely in just three locations — two rooms in a modest house, the interior of a car and the interior of a small store.
RGV was particularly impressed by director Barker’s visual style and editing choices.
“The director’s style is visually simplistic but very unique. I was especially struck by his use of too much head space in many shots, which strangely enhances the mood,” he wrote.
He said Barker treats editing not merely as a technical craft but as a psychological weapon, blending rapid cuts with unusually long pauses.
Citing the long hold on Nikki’s face in the interval shot, RGV said such moments create unbearable tension because the audience is trapped in the character’s perspective with no escape.
The filmmaker also praised the film’s use of sharp sound effects and editing rhythm.
“His cutting on sharp sound effects — a door slam, a sudden laugh, a heartbeat — to create rhythmic punctuation is awe-inspiring,” he said.
According to RGV, Barker’s editing style deliberately breaks away from conventional filmmaking rules.
“Barker’s editing philosophy seems to be: make the audience feel what the character feels, which is being unstable. He throws out traditional editing rules such as smooth continuity and clear emotional beats in favour of something extremely anarchic. The result is a film that feels unpredictable and alive, like the editing itself is also a part of the horror,” he wrote.
RGV also praised the film’s lighting techniques, comparing them to the work of acclaimed filmmaker David Fincher.
He concluded by saying that while Obsession’s box-office performance is impressive, its filmmaking techniques deserve even greater study.
“More than the 179 million dollars collection so far with a less than 1 million dollar budget, what needs to be studied even more are the path-breaking edit and sound design techniques, not to forget character design,” RGV said.
Obsession stars Michael Johnston as Bear and Inde Navarrette as Nikki. The supernatural horror film follows a man whose wish to win the affection of his longtime crush triggers a series of disturbing events.
The film was released in India on May 29.
