The Obsessed | Movie Review

BAD TRIP Bros, an Italian-Albanian factory composed of Domiziano Cristopharo, Jacopo Tomassini and Iva Cakalli, signs the direction of The Obsessed (2019), the horror film that takes its cue from a crime story namely the affair of Ricardo Lopez (1975-1996), the stalker of the famous Icelandic singer Bjork and who died by suicide in 1996 after sending a parcel bomb to the artist.
The Obsessed turns into a painstaking analysis of this introverted and reclusive figure highlighting her psychic instability and bringing to life the world of fantasy and hallucinations in which she was holed up.

Embodying this criminal exasperated by his own passion is Jacopo Tomassini, actor and here also effects artist extraordinaire, who gives a mesmerizing and masterful performance. Able to portray the tormented stalker in 360 degrees, Tomassini captures every minute facet of him, completely laying bare the soul of his psychotic character, crushed by a pressing underlying loneliness.
The actor steals the show by letting his myriad facial expressions reveal a fluctuating emotional state and his body transform into a human picture of the deformation of flesh as seen through the eyes of a man blinded by madness and rage.

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The Obsessed is a majestic body horror that latches onto the extreme genre for its exemplary sequences of self-inflicted wounds and gashes. How can we not mention, for example, the flaying, the skin tearing as a razor blade passes through the entire body, the amputation of fingers. All rendered extremely realistic thanks to the perfect practical effects created by the BAD TRIP Bros (Jacopo Tomassini and Iva Cakalli) and the extremely careful photography (Domiziano Cristopharo) that expertly accentuates the colors.

the-best-of-me3In addition to these crude images, there are those about physical deformity, mutations that are typical of body horror and contribute to completely distancing the protagonist from reality by trapping him in a surreal dimension that causes him a constant state of hyperventilation and suffering.
The psycho-physical state of the protagonist of The Obsessed is altered most by alcohol and drug intake. Numbed by hallucinations, Ricardo is an animal, a devil, a tree trunk and helplessly witnesses his physical change on which he notices the appearance of eyes, sees his navel dilate or hears his member speak. Moreover, the loss of contact with reality also leads him to rework the cover of a magazine on space experiencing an unusual and visually alluring encounter.

Erected on madness, this body horror results in a perfect visual representation of delirium. Without ever lapsing into monotony, The Obsessed offers a roundup of monstrosities drawing on the horrors sprung from the human mind. All crowned by sublime old-style practical effects and a soundtrack that adheres to the images while capturing the colorful emotions of the unforgettable protagonist.

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The cast of this first Albanian horror film produced by BAD TRIP Bros. includes, in addition to Jacopo Tomassini (Almost Dead, Mad Macbeth), Bjordi Mezini (well-known Albanian actor and director) and Elisa Carrera Fumagalli (Deep Web XXX).
Music is by Antony Coia (Virus: Extreme Contamination, Scarecrowd, Xpiation, House of Flesh Mannequins) with tracks by Susan DiBona (The Theatre Bizarre).
On the artistic team of BAD TRIP Bros are Domiziano Cristopharo (House of Flesh Mannequins, Red Krokodil, Doll Syndrome), Jacopo Tomassini and Iva Cakalli (both heading the technical and FX departments). The latter two also wrote the script for the film together with screenwriter Andrea Cavaletto (Hidden in the Woods, Beautiful People, Hyde's Secret Nightmare).

Plot: Ricardo becomes infatuated with singer Eva (Elisa Carrera Fumagalli) and undertakes to gather detailed information about her life and art to the point of developing an obsession with the woman. In a morbid way, the man writes letters to her and films himself daily with a camera.
The news of the artist's engagement will plunge the fan into a state of despair prompting him to accumulate resentment toward the singer.

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Barbara Torretti
Barbara Torretti
Editor and moderator of the DarkVeins community. Passionate about horror cinema, I also do reviews and interviews pertaining to the film, music and art circuit.

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