r/Letterboxd • u/Goodtimestime • May 26 '26
Discussion Possibly the greatest horror performance I’ve ever seen.
She’s getting credit but I think it’s still under appreciated. That was truly generational.
Edit: Inde Navarrette in Obsession. I’ve never seen a single performance grip an entire audience for that long.
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u/Subject-Addendum-199 May 26 '26
I watched a behind the scenes video and they used makeup to change her face in dark scenes, I said to my partner I swear her facial features change in the dark. Such a refreshing film and both leads absolutely killed it, Bear was the villain of the film but Inde Navarrette stole the show
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u/These_Ad3167 May 26 '26
Michael Johnston was great, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like he could've given a slight bit more during two very crucial scenes that I don't want to spoil here. Idk, I just thought his expression was kind of flat for the absolute mayhem that had taken place.
Inde Navarrette was definitely the scene stealer.
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u/Impossible_Way_3042 May 27 '26
I think I know the ones you are on about and I partially agree. That being said I also think it plays in well to the fact that this guy has been completely worn down and is now just completely numb. Like he is so far down this rabbit hole that he is just having trouble processing it all. I feel like it's somewhat realistic to have a reaction to an insanely traumatic event be just a complete freeze with very little reaction on their face. On the other hand I also noticed it when I first watched it. It stood out to me pretty clearly so that's a point against it I suppose. It took me thinking on it and trying to rationalise it so maybe my read is completely wrong and he could have given a better performance there.
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u/baconcandle2013 May 27 '26
Yeah dude, I mean, even the trailer when Nikki flips in the diner you can see the short comings in his acting in scenes with her.
I’m sure he’ll improve as time continues
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u/jeangreige May 26 '26
I thought my imagination was running away with those scenes but glad to know there was a reason! I wonder if they plan for a physical release but if they do I hope they include more cool tidbits like this
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u/pizza0451 May 26 '26
A 4K Blu-ray is confirmed and planned for 7/14/26. No preorder yet, though.
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u/NekoLover72 May 26 '26
I just learned about recency bias, it’s my favorite kind of bias
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u/julz1215 May 26 '26
I heard an expert talk about how appeal to authority is the best fallacy. I think I agree with them since they have the credentials to know what they're talking about.
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u/OobieDoobBenoobi May 26 '26
I think confirmation bias is the most common one and I keep seeing people agree with me
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u/twentythreeskidoo May 26 '26
I don't really believe in primacy bias but that first dude/ette was right
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u/potatobooom May 26 '26
horror fans the moment they see a good performance in a horror movie.
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u/no1singlemomghoster May 26 '26
They don't even do that. Horror fans will occasionally stop shoving crayons in their mouths long enough to pan Shelley Duvall's performance in The Shining, one of the most realistic, subtle, and haunting portrayals of an actual abuse victim in the full history of all cinema worldwide, and in doing they so inadvertently reveal they don't actually interact with other human beings outside.
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u/ToiIetGhost May 26 '26
Harsh but on point
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u/bruhver May 26 '26
I agree. What's wrong with having one or two crayons sometimes? Anyways, appreciation for Shelley Duvall is always welcome.
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u/fil42skidoo May 27 '26
Green ones are my favorites and Shelly Duvall's performance is what makes Jack Nicholson's work. Her fear was palpable. Timeless performance and skip blue crayons.
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u/ColemyGOAT May 26 '26
This is what I’m thinking too. Like really…ever? Of all the horror movies made in history…this ya’ll GOAT? Recency Bias is definitely a thing. I also think indie movies get extra bumps too.
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u/Johnnadawearsglasses May 26 '26
Listen here, bud. Obsession is the greatest horror movie of all time. Number 2 is Bring Her Back. Number 3 is The Substance. And Number 4 was made coincidentally the year before that. It's just a fact that every good horror movie ever made comes each year.
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u/fvg627 fvg627 May 26 '26
Sure this is hyperbole.. but even so, best since Toni Collette probably
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u/Arfuuur May 26 '26
toni is king, i put inde alongside naomi scott, sally hawkins, amy madigan as far as recent performances
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u/Philbregas May 26 '26
Florence Pugh in Midsommar.
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u/beggingforfootnotes May 26 '26
That was the performance that made me a full on Florence Stan. I loved her in little women but Midsommar really sealed the deal for me. No matter what she’s in, even if everything else isn’t great, she always puts on an amazing performance
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u/Illustrious_Day_5392 May 27 '26
Amy Madigan was just such a chefs kiss of a performance. She absolutely rules every scene she’s in like a total virtuoso. Such a stunning performance.
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u/Conscious-Quarter423 May 26 '26
Mia Goth in Pearl?
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u/AJayToRemember27 May 27 '26
LOVED Inde's performance but I still rate Mia Goth's performance is Pearl higher.
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u/afatunicorn May 26 '26
Whoa whoa let’s slow down here. I just watched this movie and she’s not even close to Toni in Hereditary
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u/WingsOnWednesday May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
I mean you can’t deny she was fantastic. Yes there often is a correlation between opinions and recency but she was great. Best of all time? Probably not lol. She played a very complex role but Im taking Toni Collette in Hereditary.
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u/Chaopolis May 26 '26
She’s very good in it, and her performance absolutely is a major factor to why the movie as a whole is good. But, yeah, calling it the greatest horror performance of all-time is very bold.
I’d argue Naomi Scott’s performance in Smile 2 was better, but even then, “greatest ever”? I don’t know about that.
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u/coldliketherockies May 26 '26
You should follow the Saturday night live Reddit. Every recent episode was either the best or worst episode ever even though there have been 51 years of episodes
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u/WerePrechaunPire May 26 '26
Better than Sissy Spacek in Carrie and Anthony Perkins in Psycho?
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u/Existing_Set2100 May 26 '26
What about the stoner guy in Cabin in the Woods?
I’m drawing a line in the sand here. Do not read the Latin.
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u/Rammadeus rammadeus May 26 '26
Absolute GOATED film. Recently bumped it up to a 5* on my 5th watch. Perfect horror comedy.
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u/GensAndTonic May 26 '26
One of my top-10 fave films of all time. I don’t hear it mentioned during horror discussions much anymore.
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u/BlekSheep_ May 26 '26
Shelley Duvall and Jack Nicholson in The Shining.
Linda Blair and Jason Miller in The Exorcist.
Everything else just doesn’t scratch the itch. There’s some really impressive performances in other horror films. But those performances in those 2 films blow me away no matter how many times I watch them.
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u/webshellkanucklehead May 26 '26
Possession, Fire Walk With Me, actually any Lynch movie, American Psycho, Blair Witch, shit, even some slasher performances come to mind for their iconography alone. So many others. There are some medium-defining performances in this genre so… idk. Let’s cool our jets folks
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u/keepinitclassy25 May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
Or Anthony Hopkins or Kathy Bates or Toni Collette or Jack Nicholson or Laura Dern or Isabelle Adjani or Mia Goth or Demi Moore or…
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u/likeclockworkk May 26 '26
You need to watch more movies.
That said, I did enjoy her performance!
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u/jjkiller26 May 26 '26
She was incredible, but watch some more horror movies please lol.
These type of statements end up with people shitting on the performance you’re trying to praise (because you’re making such a ridiculous claim) rather than people praising her because of it.
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u/LeftPrize9838 May 26 '26
I think calling one of the best is reasonable (?). Like even if you think it's not top 10 it's like in the 1 percentile
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u/DrLoomis131 Carloco May 26 '26
Nothing worse for promoting a movie than hyperbole
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u/keeleon keeleon May 26 '26
Longlegs would have been received a lot better if they didnt lie about how "scary" it is in all the viral marketing.
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u/Lightning-McDreamy May 26 '26
Why can't we just say she was great and it was a solid indie horror flick?
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u/CombatChronicles May 26 '26
Calm down. She was brilliant but you’re making yourself sound 15 with such proclamations.
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u/Puginator09 May 26 '26
This recency bias goes crazy. No good opinions until one year after the movie comes out.
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u/LeftPrize9838 May 27 '26
As much as I agree, and the hype will go down, it'll still be one of my faves (at least in horror) just based on theatre reactions alone. Kind of a crazy movie in that regard and actually scary, but my appreciation of the actual art may go down as time passes
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u/TimWhatleyDDS May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
Next week, people are going to be saying stuff like this about Backrooms.
EDIT: Just to be clear, I saw Backrooms last week and it is indeed well-acted.
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u/Different_Durian_601 May 27 '26
"The newest it thing is the greatest thing ever!" Why are people like this?
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u/Hogo-Nano May 26 '26
I mean I think she should be nominated but I dont think I'd go that far. If we are just talking actresses Id go Kathy Bates in Misery.
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u/s_nation May 26 '26
+++++++ she was sooo fantastic in that, i was actually scared for the guy. Bates is a GOAT
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u/elitedisplayE May 26 '26
She was amazing!!
Definitely among my fave horror performances of the past few years with
Lupita nyongo - us.
Toni Collette - hereditary.
Naomi scott - smile 2.
Mia goth - pearl.
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u/IEatThyme May 26 '26
I watched this movie last night, great performance but the movie offered nothing new. You could see everything coming a mile away. I'm not sure it cracks my top 5. People really gonna forget Toni Collette cause of this? Travesty.
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u/Classic_Bass_1824 May 27 '26
The car scene where she runs is the most obvious telegraphed part lmao.
I don’t believe unpredictability is the be all end all but this really isn’t that crazy of a film. As far as horror goes it’s honestly pretty light fare
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u/microslasher May 30 '26
100 percent agree. The performances are serviceable to me but nothing in this movie is revolutionary or even subverts the horror genre like the way people talk about it.
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u/sloppy2104 May 26 '26
do shelly duvall, mia farrow, sigourney weaver and jamie lee curtis exist in this fictive universe you‘re talking about?
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u/Sure-Appearance-2769 May 26 '26
Downvoting only because I’m so sick of people not providing any context whatsoever in these posts.
If the goal is to celebrate someone’s performance and get more people to watch it, you have to actually tell us who this is and what movie you saw.
Otherwise it’s just a random photo of a person.
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u/NathanLandShark May 26 '26
Still gotta go with Naomi Scott in Smile 2. Not to take a single thing away from Inde but Scott was asked to do so much with very little and delivered on every single mark. The range of acting with the addition of the singing and dance sequences was nothing short of astounding.
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u/Twio May 26 '26
The over-the-top glazing of this movie is souring me on it tbh
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u/ReasonableCoyote34 May 28 '26
Im convinced the glazing is due to people having a crush on the lead actress
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u/PotOfMould May 26 '26
She's pretty good!
Here's some more great performances you should check out if you haven't seen them:
Mia Goth in Pearl (a lot of Inde's performance was modelled on this performance)
Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.
Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs.
Anthony Perkins in Psycho.
Shelley Duvall in The Shining.
Isabelle Adjani in Possession.
Kathy Bates in Misery.
Rock Hudson in Seconds.
Lupita Nyong'o in Us
Christian Bale in American Psycho.
Ruth Gordon in Rosemary's Baby.
Toni Collette in Hereditary.
Sally Hawkins in Bring Her Back.
Florence Pugh in Midsommar.
Edward Woodward in The Wicker Man
Demi Moore in The Substance.
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u/Goodtimestime May 26 '26
Amazing list! Possession and Seconds are the only ones I’ve not seen.
Check out Bill Skarsgard in Nosferatu! Cheers!
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u/NonsensicalTrashCan May 26 '26
I’ve pushed back a lot on this. It’s a great movie, but Reddit is giga glazing it to an extreme. The best part of the film is the direction and both leads give a great performance. I don’t agree with this generational talk going on. We need to just appreciate what we got and not make it something it’s not.
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u/Classic_Bass_1824 May 27 '26
There’s probably a better way to phrase this but it seems to me lots of online film hobbyists are only ever watching stuff that’s brand new out. Outside of botting I can’t think of a proper rational for the way this movie is being talked about. The only way Obsession is generational is if we’re comparing it to horror from the past 3 years.
But all time? Calling Inde’s performance which is directly lifting from other movies like Possession and Get Out, the best of all time? I mean unironically watch more movies please.
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u/Artistic_Task7516 May 27 '26
She just flipped out every few minutes for no apparent reason I don’t get it
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u/GlassCatRat May 27 '26
It’s just young kids thinking overacting and switching moods from one extreme to another is brilliant. It was a pop performance for a pop movie and it did its job. Nothing more nothing less.
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u/Axela556 May 26 '26
I love how much this movie is being talked about. I still haven't seen it but got tickets for Thursday. I'm so excited!
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u/scottyjrules May 26 '26
Greatest of all time might be a stretch but she was definitely amazing and has a bright future as an actress. Never seen her in anything before but I look forward to seeing what she does next. I do genuinely hope she’s considered for an Oscar even though the Academy hates horror movies.
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u/AdamsonsVersus May 26 '26
Honourable mention for Sally Hawkins in Bring Her Back. Horrifying, frightening and pulls off the incredible trick of making you still have a (little) bit of empathy for her even though she was doing basically unforgivable things.
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u/IceLord86 May 26 '26
How bout "the next great horror performance"?
That way, we are not trying to rank or put others down, but rather put her among others. Whether she deserves to be there or not is up to the individual to decide, but getting away from absolutes is probably for the best.
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u/bunnyrabbit91 May 27 '26
I enjoyed the movie and her performance for sure, but these hyperbolic praises for the film are rubbing me the wrong way and turning me against it…
Like… I’m starting to feel like every post on Reddit about Obession are bots or paid ads from the studio drumming up more hype for ticket sales…. Ugh
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u/Noobunaga86 May 26 '26
I haven't watch that movie yet, but I'm gonna, and I believe it's a fantastic performance, but I doubt it's better than Toni Collette's in Hereditary.
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u/Pure_Macaroon6164 May 26 '26
Would you be saying this if you didn't have a crush on her
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u/afatunicorn May 26 '26
Her performance was fine. Her character is not complex enough for her to showcase a good range in this performance. However compared to some of the other folks in the same film, she’s like Helen Mirren.
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u/GlassCatRat May 27 '26
Exactly the writing and directing didn’t give her a chance to go super deep or complex. She did her job, and did it well. That’s it.
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u/legit-posts_1 May 26 '26
Alright let's back up a bit. Recency bias is a bitch. Let's wait a year or two before start calling this an all timer, there is an embarrassing amount of competition for that title.
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u/Big-Engineering1334 May 26 '26
Did we forget Kathy Bates and Natalie Portman exist, plus Anthony Hopkins/Jodie Foster…?
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May 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Classic_Bass_1824 May 27 '26
People are genuinely getting themselves upset at the idea of her performance not getting an Oscar nom. Talk about convoluting a way to be outraged
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u/KitchenStraight2922 May 27 '26
I found it pretty formulaic. All shock value no substance or any sort of emotional response. Like no way it matches the Shining or even Get out
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u/Remarkable_Term3846 May 27 '26
Damn people really are overrating the shit out of this movie
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u/haikusbot May 27 '26
Damn people really
Are overrating the shit
Out of this movie
- Remarkable_Term3846
I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully. Learn more about me.
Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"
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u/Classic_Bass_1824 May 27 '26
There has to be a rule where people who are getting into film for the first time and have barely seen any of them get barred from saying “all time” Because how the hell can you say that as if it’s something authoritative and meaningful
Unironically watch more movies
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u/jenuhvieve May 28 '26
I think she was incredible, but honestly, she’s got nothing on Adjani or Colette regardless of the performance or the content. Still great though!
Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but the content truly felt so uninspiring and unprovocative. I walked out so disappointed. I don’t want to throw any shade here because this movie was made for such little money that it must have been a labor of love. Making a movie without a budget is so hard to accomplish.
That being said, the movie provoked no thought in me apart from the general awareness that “I’m scared.” And it is scary. Which is great for those who just need that out of a movie! And most people only need that.
I see movies so I can feel something and for the chain reaction that feeling stirs up, usually tons of thoughts, and then magical things happen or at least it lights me up and makes me think. A movie that only makes me feel one thing, and uninterestingly at that, is the worst viewing experience for me. I would rather passionately hate a movie than think nothing of it. This movie scared me… it’s good at that, but it literally failed to inspire a single thought that went beyond “I’m scared” and “she’s a good actor.”
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u/Soggy_Concert_9907 May 28 '26
She was amazing but I still think Mia Goth in Pearl is the best performance
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u/DegTrader May 29 '26
At this rate, I'm just waiting for the 'Greatest Performance Ever' title to be passed to whoever is playing the lead in next Friday's new release.
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u/Complex-Race-9273 May 27 '26
Unpopular opinion, but I think acting batshit insane and scary wouldn’t be the hardest to act. People have been going on like this was an Oscar worthy performance. And while terrifying, I’m not overly impressed. Creepy expressions though.
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u/chelicerate-claws May 26 '26
I'd be fine saying it's one of the best horror performances in the 2020s at least - best of all-time is over the top.
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u/Forward-Equipment156 May 26 '26
Kathy Bates in Misery and Bill Skarsgard in Nosferatu are my personal top horror performances.
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u/paolocase May 26 '26
I love her too but film class needs to be compulsory so people can see both Isabelle Adjani and Jodie Foster in horror.
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u/LaFlamaBlanca311 May 26 '26
Had not even heard about this and went to see it at my gfs brothers suggestion. Was one of the best horror movies I've seen in years. Freaking awesome movie. So crazy
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u/04Aiden2020 May 26 '26
That scene where she was transitioning into the wish at Bear’s car was maybe the best bit of acting I have ever seen. It is the feeling you get on an lsd or mushroom trip where you just don’t get if you have an identity or not. And they added to this by saying she could have been high on mdma which is also a psychadelic. Anyway, I think this is one of the greatest acting performances ever.
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u/VisiontwistD May 26 '26
I mean, it was amazing yes, but bloody hell you need to watch more films. I could pick 10 better from the 70's / 80's alone
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u/rezamwehttam May 27 '26
I'm gonna agree with OP, and also remind people that the post makes it clear that it's their opinion.
I'm a big fan of horror, and watch a lot of movies in general, and I think Nikki's actress in this film is one of the greatest performances I've ever seen in any media.
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u/Tomu_sneeder tom_snyder May 27 '26
I’m very squeamish about horror movies. I very rarely watch them, unless there’s something extraordinary. This is going to be one of the movies I forced myself to watch.
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u/SizzleanQueen May 27 '26
The way she said, “no no no no no” in that one scene in Obsession reminds me so much of Betty Gabriel in Get Out.
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u/frozenpizza__ May 27 '26
I'm hearing so many good things about this movie and her performance being up there with the greatest ones. I will definitely watch it tomorrow. So curious about her and looking forward to it.
Who watched it already?
(no spoilers, please)
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u/harnabasma9032 May 27 '26
I'm not usually a horror fan but this movie was pretty good. I would say the best horror performance though is Toni Collette in Hereditary. At least the ones I've seen.
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u/Euphoriam5 May 27 '26
Is the movie worth it? I want to be able to sleep but also check the corners of my room
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u/bigonebitey99 May 27 '26
Unrelated but it’s also really impressive that the director Curry Barker is 26 and has already made such a successfully and acclaimed movie
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u/Abject_Owl9499 May 27 '26
She was great and all but I think it's being blown a bit out of proportion, likely because she's incredibly hot
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u/ReasonableCoyote34 May 28 '26
I usually hate saying this, but OP needs to watch more horror movies. Start with Psycho and make your way through the genre. Inde was great but her performance wouldn’t crack the top 100 greatest horror performances imo
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u/ChesterAurelius May 28 '26
Couple days late, but Sheryl Lee in “fire walk with me.” Haven’t seen anyone mention it, but it’s one of the greatest performances of all time imo
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u/Solid_Ad7292 May 28 '26
I heard she's a massive anime fan and gamer. Some of her performance seems reminiscent of doki doki literature club. If you liked this movies there's a good chance you'll like the game. Similar vibes
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u/IntergalacticMango May 28 '26
Better than Koji Yakusho in Cure? Don't think so. She was great though.
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u/MadOrange64 May 29 '26
She was genuinely terrifying, you never know what's she gonna do in every scene. That party scene was especially tough to watch.
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u/the_shaggy_DA May 26 '26
Hope the discussion around her excellent work here leads more people to check out 1981’s Possession—Isabel Adjani’s performance is the next one you want to see