‘Obsession’ and the Rise of Incel Horror: When Men’s Entitlement Becomes the Monster

When I first watched Curry Barker’s Obsession, I assumed the horror was obvious. Not the supernatural curse at the center of the film but the decision that sets it in motion: a man deciding he is entitled to a woman’s love, to a woman’s body, regardless of her autonomy. Online, women have begun calling this kind of story “incel horror”—a growing label for films in which the true source of terror is not a monster or supernatural force, but a man’s sense of entitlement to women’s bodies, affection or attention. Obsession fits squarely within that tradition. While the film presents Nikki’s magically induced obsession as the immediate threat, the story begins with Bear’s decision to override her autonomy in pursuit of his own desires. In doing so, it joins a growing list of films—including Companion, Don’t Worry Darling and Ex Machina—that invite audiences to question whether the real villain is not the curse, the robot or the simulation, but the man who believes he has the right to control a woman’s fate. For many women viewers, that is the horror that lingers long after the credits roll. The monster is not lurking in the shadows. It often arrives convinced it is the hero. The post ‘Obsession’ and the Rise of Incel Horror: When Men’s Entitlement Becomes the Monster appeared first on Ms. Magazine.