A Love that Cannot Refuse: Magical Realism and the Coercion of Identity in Curry Barker's Obsession (2026)

Authors

An'nisa Purnama Universitas Bangka Belitung, Indonesia
M. Afifulloh Universitas Bangka Belitung, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15642/NOBEL.2026.17.2.141-160

Keywords:

magical realism, Wendy B. Faris, Obsession, film analysis, identity

Abstract

This study aims to identify how Wendy B. Faris’s five characteristics of magical realism are represented in Curry Barker’s Obsession (2026) and to explain what they reveal about obsession, consent, and identity. It employs a descriptive qualitative method and textual content analysis of narration, actions, objects, and selected conversations from the 99-page screenplay. The findings show that the One Wish Willow functions as an irreducible magical element within a detailed phenomenal world of homes, workplaces, digital searches, and medical procedures. Grief, intoxication, and mental instability generate unsettling doubt before the supernatural is materially confirmed, while commercial, romantic, psychological, and magical realms merge throughout the narrative. The discussion identifies identity as the most strongly disturbed category because Bear’s wish replaces Nicky’s autonomous desire with compulsory love while her original self remains trapped. The study concludes that magical realism in Obsession transforms an apparently romantic wish into a critique of obsession: love produced without consent becomes coercive control rather than affection.

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Published

2026-10-01

How to Cite

Purnama, A., & Afifulloh, M. (2026). A Love that Cannot Refuse: Magical Realism and the Coercion of Identity in Curry Barker’s Obsession (2026). NOBEL: Journal of Literature and Language Teaching, 17(2), 141–160. https://doi.org/10.15642/NOBEL.2026.17.2.141-160