Obsession is a clever marketing strategy that immerses horror fans in the movie's eerie premise, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. This tactic, employed by Focus Features and Blumhouse, takes the form of a texting gimmick where users interact with a chatbot named Nikki, who becomes an obsessive and unnerving presence. The movie, centered around Bear's unrequited love for Nikki, uses this interactive approach to mirror the film's themes of obsession and desire. The author, an entertainment journalist, found themselves caught up in the marketing frenzy, texting a chatbot that mirrored the movie's narrative. The experience was both intriguing and unsettling, as the chatbot's behavior escalated from sweet nothings to voice memos filled with begging and maniacal laughter. The author's friend, Josh Levesque, experienced an even more extreme version of this gimmick, receiving a photo of his apartment building and having lunch delivered without his knowledge. The article concludes by suggesting that the gimmick is a fun way to experience the movie's premise, despite the creeping unease it may induce.
