On Sept. 30, director Curry Barker’s “Obsession” was submitted for consideration at the 2027 Golden Globe Awards. Following this submission, controversy erupted among fans and viewers for its placement in the category of Musical or Comedy.
“Obsession” star Inde Navarrette receiving IMDB’s Breakout award.
| Instagram. @Obsessionthemovie |
The online debate on platforms such as X, Instagram and TikTok stemmed from the opinion that the film simply does not belong in the Musical or Comedy category, and that its dark visuals and story elements land more fittingly under the Drama category.
On the other hand, there are fans who defend the category placement, arguing that the film has several comedic moments that warrant it to be placed there.
Sophomore Nick Deem feels that the themes of “Obsession” were overlooked by being placed in this category.
“I think that placing a film like ‘Obsession’ in the Musical or Comedy category tells me that the film industry does not understand the concept of the film at all,” said Deem. “‘Obsession’ is one of the best horror films of the decade and is written like a modern-day Shakespearean tragedy where the two characters of ‘Bear’ and ‘Nikki’ are corrupted by the unknown powers of a wish Bear did not understand or even intend.”
He also believes that the comedic aspects of the film are a result of its horror elements rather than traditional humor.
“Many of the comedic moments of the film immediately follow sequences of pure terror and suspense, so it’s almost like the audience laughs out of fear and desperation rather than as a
response to humor,” said Deem. “Simply dropping the film into the category of Comedy or Musical is doing it a major disservice, because the comedy is incidental and made possible by the scare factor and horrific nature of the film.”
Another topic of debate that this controversy has sparked is whether or not the genre is taken seriously by the film industry and award shows as a whole.
Sophomore Owen Telesmanick, President of the Short Filmmaker’s Club, believes horror films do not receive enough recognition at awards shows.
“I don’t think they’re taken seriously. Over the past year, movies like ‘Weapons’ with Amy Madigan were nice to see,” said Telesmanick. “Still, to prove my point, horror isn’t seen as prestigious filmmaking because it doesn’t appeal to older generations, who usually vote for the Oscars and other awards.”
The placement of “Obsession” under the Musical or Comedy category has many movie enjoyers confused and disgruntled, wondering why horror movies aren’t usually recognized at these awards.
“With the Golden Globes specifically, they have major categories in Drama and Musical/Comedy which almost explicitly excludes horror movies,” said Film Professor Todd Barnes. “People don’t naturally think of horror films in awards ceremonies because they haven’t seen much of them in the past.”
As the debate surrounding “Obsession” continues, some moviegoers hope the discussion will encourage major award shows like The Oscars and Golden Globes to reconsider how they recognize horror films.
“I personally think that Horror deserves its own category at major award shows,” said Deem. “Even though there are entire award shows dedicated to horror movies like the Saturn
Awards, and the Dead Meat Horror Awards, it would be nice for the genre to be noticed and respected by shows like the Oscars or the Golden Globes.”
