Obsession, a pitch-dark horror story about a lonely man using a magical trinket to force a woman to love him, will be submitted for Golden Globes consideration in the musical or comedy categories, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The move highlights the ongoing challenge horror films face at the awards ceremony.
The film, starring Michael Johnston as Bear and Inde Navarrette as Nikki, depicts a descent into madness with graphic violence, including a bludgeoning with a brick. Despite this, its awards campaign will position it as a comedy, a tactic driven by the Globes' rigid category structure.
Category conundrum for horror
The Golden Globes split major categories into drama and musical or comedy, neither of which suits horror films. Historically, horror has struggled in both. The Exorcist won as a drama in 1974, while The Silence of the Lambs, despite a clean sweep at the Oscars, only replicated one Globe win for Jodie Foster. Sweeney Todd won in the musical or comedy category in 2008, but that film featured actual musical numbers.
This year, the drama category is expected to be a tight race between Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, the Spanish LGBTQ+ epic La Bola Negra, and potentially Dune: Part Three. The musical or comedy category, featuring Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine, Olivia Wilde's The Invite, and a Michael Jackson biopic, is seen as less intimidating for a horror contender.
Momentum and precedent
While the Globes have faced criticism and controversy, they remain influential as the first major awards of the season, providing momentum for winners. For Obsession, Navarrette's central performance is considered its best chance at a statuette. A recent precedent supports this: Demi Moore won best actress for The Substance in the musical or comedy category, a victory that horror fans hope Navarrette can replicate.
Despite Obsession's success as a breakout hit and its director Curry Barker's rising profile, the film faces an uphill battle at the Globes. The awards season remains inhospitable for horror, and the film's campaign may need more than a musical number to succeed.
