Obsession review: Erotic thriller is a shallow disaster

In Obsession, a renowned surgeon gets involved in an affair with his son’s girlfriend, triggering an infatuation that threatens everything they hold dear. The series is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

William Farrow, a well-respected and renowned surgeon, has recently treated conjoined twins and is being celebrated everywhere. William and his wife, Ingrid, are also waiting for their son, Jay, to join.

Apparently, Jay is bringing his new girlfriend, Anna, along with him. William becomes the first person to meet Anna during an event conducted by his father-in-law, Edward.

From the very first glance, William and Anna sense an attraction towards each other. While William keeps this interaction from his family, Anna proceeds to pursue him.

William never once stops her from doing so, and when she finally invites him over, they sleep together and start meeting more often. Though Anna lays down some ground rules for their affair to continue, their obsession with each other forces them to break these rules.

All of this might be new to William, but Anna hints that she has been in this cycle before, and someone has always gotten hurt in the end.

Performances

Richard Armitage as William Farrow and Charlie Murphy as Anna Barton are star performers, as they should be. Their chemistry is exciting, and at the same time, they also show the guilt that they have on their faces.

Indira Varma as Ingrid Farrow only shines in the aftermath of the affair, where she is pouring out her frustration after losing a loved one. Varma reflects on how devastating that death has been for her character.

Positives

Obsession picks up only during the final moments of the third episode and the finale. The aftermath of the affair raises the stakes and makes you question how it may have affected William and Anna and how they will react, knowing that they ruined something good.

Negatives

The premiere episode fails to give something to look forward to. It does everything that the show’s logline says and doesn’t present the erotic affair in any unique way.

The show certainly lacks a strong narrative. A viewer isn’t thrilled to know how the two lead characters are going to pursue their affair and how the events will turn out for them. The show should have explored the minds of both characters and what led them to make this move.

At least for Anna, Obsession puts forth an interesting backstory but doesn’t connect the dots to hint at the origins of the cycle she is in.

For William, on the other hand, the series doesn’t even touch on what is going on in his mind or why he would leave his happy family behind for Anna. The series slightly suggests that he hasn’t been with a lot of women, which might have pushed him to make this move, but that reason is not enough.

Obsession also hardly feels like a story in the beginning; it looks more like a small peek into an affair between a man and his son’s girlfriend.

Verdict

Obsession had the tools to be a decent erotic thriller, yet with its reluctance to touch the deeper parts, it neither offers great drama nor an exciting erotic thriller.

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Also Read: Obsession summary and ending explained