Obsession Golden Globes is a sentence that shouldn’t make sense, and yet here we are. Focus Features has submitted Curry Barker’s horror film in the Musical or Comedy categories at the 84th Golden Globe Awards. That’s not a typo. That’s a strategy.
The Obsession Golden Globes submission has people confused. The film is a horror-thriller starring Inde Navarrette. It’s about gaslighting. It’s about violence. It’s about the kind of psychological torment that leaves you feeling like you need to take a shower. Calling it a comedy is a choice. Calling it a musical is a bigger choice. But the Hollywood Reporter confirmed that’s exactly what Focus Features did. Insiders are citing precedent — other genre-blurring films that were submitted as comedies and ended up nominated.
Here’s the thing. The Golden Globes have always been weird about categories. The Martian won Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. Get Out was submitted as a comedy. Deadpool got a comedy nomination. The Globes don’t care about your genre. They care about what makes the most sense for the campaign. If you’re a horror movie with no shot in the drama category, you submit as a comedy. It’s not dishonest. It’s just the game.
But the Obsession Golden Globes situation feels different. The film is genuinely disturbing. It’s not a fun watch. It’s not a crowd-pleaser. It’s the kind of movie that makes people leave the theater feeling sick. Submitting it as a comedy feels like a dare. Like Focus Features is saying, “Sure, it’s horrific, but have you considered that it’s also funny?” That’s a tough pitch.
The reactions have been predictably divided. Some people think it’s a smart move that acknowledges how absurd the awards race has become. Others think it’s insulting. The Obsession Golden Globes submission is going to be a talking point for months, which is exactly what Focus Features wants. You don’t submit a horror movie as a comedy unless you want people to notice.
Obsession has been one of the year’s surprise hits. It came out of nowhere and built a reputation through word of mouth. Navarrette’s performance has been praised. Barker’s direction has been praised. The film has momentum. The Obsession Golden Globes submission is an attempt to turn that momentum into trophies. Whether it works is up to the voters.
If Obsession gets nominated, the Globes are going to have to explain how a movie about gaslighting and abuse qualifies as a comedy. If it doesn’t get nominated, Focus Features will move on and pretend this never happened. Either way, the conversation has already been started.
The 84th Golden Globe Awards are in January. Obsession Golden Globes is the weirdest awards campaign of the year. And that’s saying something.
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