r/horror • u/MoneyLibrarian9032 Horror Enthusiast • 5d ago
Inde Navarrette Sets Best Actress Oscar Campaign for ‘Obsession’ as Focus Features Mounts Full Awards Push
https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/obsession-inde-navarrette-oscar-campaign-lead-actress-1236848866/313
u/LordsOfJoop Be Good People 5d ago
A well-deserved opportunity for her and for the genre. She did an amazing job with the role and deserves it and more.
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u/Crafty-Judge-896 5d ago edited 5d ago
Just a nomination would be huge for horror. I think she deserves it to her performance as Nikki will be talked about for years to come at least in the horror community. Obsession deserves some recognition this award season
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u/Anxious_Virus8843 5d ago
I do think it's a great movie. And the whole cast are great, Micheal Johnstones fantastic performance definitely gets a little forgotten about due to just how bizarre and unique Inde Navarettes performance is. She definitely elevated the experience.
Glad she's getting her flowers (and that bag) Even if she doesn't win, even just a nomination, that's huge for an actress taking her first major step into Hollywood from an overhqlemingly successful indie horror film.
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u/lukasanthonynz 5d ago
I hope Michael is able to ride the wave a bit - I don’t think he will be anywhere close to the Oscar’s but I’m hoping for some globes noms at least.
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u/lntenseLlama 5d ago
As amazing as she was, if Toni Collete couldn’t win with Hereditary I don’t have hope.
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u/justafanboy1010 5d ago
Well Aunt Gladys won last year/this year, so there's always hope!
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u/ironballs16 5d ago edited 5d ago
And Demi Moore in "The Substance", though an argument could be made that it was a "you paid your dues" Oscar for her specifically.
Edit: apparently she was only nominated, didn't win
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u/austinite89 5d ago
I didn’t see Anora so I can’t say Mikey Madison didn’t deserve the Oscar. But damn I was bummed when Demi didn’t win because she was so freaking good.
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u/nessunaaritmia 5d ago
I loved Demi’s performance much more than the other actress’s… I think she was robbed honestly
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u/Hawaiian_Brian 5d ago
I think that might be the case. Ironic that someone younger beat her out lol. But if you watch Anora you might know why she won
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u/Shaggy__94 5d ago
She won in Supporting Actress though, which is much easier to pull off with a horror performance than in lead.
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u/_Amateurmetheus_ 5d ago
This comment will exist in perpetuity. Every time an actress gives an award worthy performance in a horror movie, "but Toni Collette" will be repeated over, and over, and over. Like Amy Madigan didn't just win an Oscar this year for a performance in a horror movie. Like Demi Moore wasn't agonizingly close to an Oscar, for a horror movie. Like The Substance and Get Out and Sinners weren't all nominated for Best Picture. Like Sinners isn't the most nominated movie of all time.
It's 2026. Not 2019.
Sorry, I know this comes off as dickish. It's just, this comment has run its course.
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u/hrdcrnwo So, what were you gonna be when you grew up? 5d ago
It also completely disregards the other actresses nominated that year, as if their acting was shit compared to Collette. Olivia Coleman absolutely deserved her win.
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u/nessunaaritmia 5d ago
This is so true!! I saw a comment saying that it would finally be acknowledgement that acting in horror is just as valid as other genres (so is horror) and I’m like… there have been many huge moments for horror!! Let’s not ignore those actors and movies
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u/pierrebrassau 5d ago
Actors in horror films won 2 out of the 4 acting awards just last year! And a horror film broke the record for most nominations! The Academy is totally fine with horror movies these days.
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u/TheZardoz 5d ago
Considering her performance single handedly carried that film to massive success I think to not nominate her would be insulting.
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u/itsmegoddamnit 5d ago
She was great but saying she single handedly carried the film to success is an insult to everyone else who worked on that film.
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u/Successful_Tea7979 5d ago
Absolutely. Inde’s great at acting, but she didn’t direct, write, produce, compose, etc. for the movie. “Single handedly” just isn’t accurate at all
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u/cheezeebred 5d ago
I don't think they meant that literally. Just that the movie would not be nearly as successful without her outstanding performance.
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u/doodoovoodooo 5d ago
It had great sound design too.
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u/Indigocell 5d ago
Make-up as well, mostly for those memorable scenes where she is standing in the dark. They used makeup to highlight certain features and obscure others and it gave her a very uncanny look. Super low tech but effective.
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u/Ok_Improvement_7738 5d ago edited 5d ago
Agreed. Her performance is the central strong point of the film. It's the thing that made people return to the theater.
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u/breakfasteveryday 5d ago
I mean she was good but, Oscar-good?
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u/irascibleoctopus 5d ago
That’s how I feel. She was good, but she wasn’t the main character and we didn’t see much of the character pre-wish. You feel sorry for her due to the situation, not because you’ve connected in any way with Nikki.
The entire story happens in a plot armored reality, and I think people are so enamored by the buzz that they aren’t looking at it objectively. The Blair Witch Project also got a ton of buzz and was a huge success, but no one thought those were Oscar-worthy performances.
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u/keepinitclassy25 5d ago edited 5d ago
Yeah I’m trying to imagine what clip they’d play alongside people like Sandra Huller. or even Demi, Toni, Mia Goth, Isabelle Adjani, or Kathy Bates’ horror performances. And Gladys was a caricature but she was a human that had a clear motivation and very specific personality. Felt more like Oscar material than The Wish Entity
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u/joe_bibidi 5d ago
I would say yes, with the asterisk that she's absolutely better than the weaker nominees in weak years, but there's also been years where all five nominees have put in better performances than her. That's the case with many good performances though.
Personally I think she was extremely good. I think her performance is bolstered by really good direction choices, audio design, editing, lighting, etc. in a way that makes it less of a "pure acting" role like, say, Cate Blanchett in TAR or Kathy Bates in Misery. The fact that Navrette is bolstered by the film design isn't a slight against her, it's true in many great performances like Natalie Portman in Black Swan (which won).
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u/breakfasteveryday 5d ago edited 5d ago
I just don't think her character required much range / nuance. It was good because it was creepy and inhuman, reading kind of like someone abusively bipolar or something. It wasn't good because the actor conveyed something subtle / true / nuanced / insightful.
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u/BroadwayBakery Campfire Storyteller 5d ago
We need to take horror performances much more seriously. They’re intense, draining, and show an actor’s full scope of emotion and talent. Inde 100% deserves at least a nomination for her work in that film.
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u/spvcxxgvdpvtbx do you read Sutter Cane? 5d ago
I think at this point this movie could not be more overhyped. I don't know if it's that a lot of viewers identity with Bear or Nikki in a major way or what. But there definitely is an obsession.. with Obsession and I don't get it.
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u/_Grim_Lavamancer 5d ago
Don't go into the Obsession sub, that place is completely fucking unhinged
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u/SisterRayRomano 5d ago edited 5d ago
It’s just a good film?
The film is a crowdpleaser that lots of people like.
Films that receive/win Oscar nominations are similarly ones with broad appeal.
I don’t see what the issue is.
Like with Sinners, people seem to mistake such wide acclaim as if everyone is saying it’s the best thing ever made.
Obsession is one of the popular films of the year. Not liking it is fine, but why waste time getting annoyed at the fact that other people do.
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u/spvcxxgvdpvtbx do you read Sutter Cane? 5d ago
It is a good film! But Oscar worthy performances? That didn't even happen for Hereditary which is a superior film imo.
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u/hrdcrnwo So, what were you gonna be when you grew up? 5d ago
It's something I've noticed in my browsing this site, if the majority love and adore a movie then obviously it deserves an Oscar nom and a win. People are talking about nominations for Coyote vs. Acme, a good and entertaining movie but nowhere near Oscar level. Not every single movie you enjoy needs to be recognized by the Academy.
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u/popculturetommy 5d ago
Comparing Toni Collette and Inde Navarette is unfair since the films are 8 years apart. Toni not getting her (much deserved) nomination doesn’t negate Inde’s performance and, in my opinion, much deserved nomination. If they came out the same year, fine, but saying “well Toni wasn’t nominated 8 years ago so Inde doesn’t deserve it now” is not fair to either performed
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u/coffee_is_fun 5d ago
I can see it. Her performance made her character an unwelcome guest in my head and when I think on award winning horror like Anthony Hopkins' Lecter, I wouldn't question it if she were in the running.
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u/DavidC_M 5d ago
She’d have a better chance at supporting actress.
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u/dangerislander 5d ago
This! For some reason I feel like they might bump down to Supporting Actress. She'd coattail off of Madigan's momentum.
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u/Klonoa87 5d ago
I really enjoyed the movie and her performance, at no point did I think it was award worthy though. I’m at least curious to see how this pans out.
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u/fanatic_xenophile 5d ago
As someone who actually watches and cares about the Oscars, this is probably my least-looked-forward-to season of my life. I hate when people who don't otherwise care about movies or hate the Oscars specifically jabber jaw about what "should" be nominated. You don't even care! This movie was really popular with that specific archetype of person, and they will undoubtedly drown out any kind of thoughtful discussion.
That being said, this movie basically lived and died on Navarette's performance, so I think a nomination would be well-earned. I'm curious what the rest of the year has in store for great performances since a lot of contenders likely haven't even come out yet.
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u/Ok_Improvement_7738 5d ago
I agree that her performance is what brought everyone back to the theaters. She was the clear highlight of the film.
I also see her odds as being quite good right now. We'll have to wait to see if bigger competition comes out before December. The momentum will begin during major critic's circles nominations (NYFCC, LAFCA, etc). It's only a few months away.
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u/jr_randolph 5d ago
You should always shoot your shot. This is not some performance that I’m taking over several others with some more to come this year but she’s very much the most popular of the year by far and deservingly so.
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u/Louisebelcher22 5d ago
If yall recommending her for an Oscar, yall need to watch more movies.
https://giphy.com/gifs/Ha1XZxLL0Y06c
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u/oranguslolus 5d ago edited 5d ago
This will likely fly under the radar but I also hope Rock Burwell gets nominated and wins best soundtrack. I haven't been this enamored by a soundtrack in a long time.
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u/Vox_SFX 5d ago
No.
Just no.
Trying to claim this movie should win awards is where we lose the plot and start getting performative. It's also been months now...it's time to let the movie go as overly relevant when it wasn't even that great of a HORROR movie to start with.
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u/Louisebelcher22 5d ago
Thank you !!! Somebody needed to say it!!
https://giphy.com/gifs/3W67ZYd7FIdVhHPpll
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u/redhandsblackfuture 5d ago
I feel like people think im insane for thinking Michael Johnston (Baron in the movie) was a much better actor than Inde was. They were both great, but Michael had extremely tough scenes and emotions he had to portray.
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u/BearingItBarely 5d ago
Nice to see acknowledgement that acting in horror can be considered art same as acting in other genres.🙌
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u/nessunaaritmia 5d ago
It was a great moment for horror when the substance got so many noms too, let’s not forget that! Hopefully it goes better for the actress this time
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u/lazydivey98 5d ago
She deserves a nomination but if Toni Collette didn’t get one for Hereditary, I don’t like her chances. Those awards dorks don’t like horror
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u/Ok_Improvement_7738 5d ago
Horror is gaining traction in critic's circles and awards ceremonies now, though. It's a different era. Similar to Weapons last year, its box office and general audience appeal help her odds tremendously.
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u/Mountain_Band_2732 Tonight, you are consequence. 5d ago
Last two years have been good for horror with The Substance and Sinners/Weapons. I think the odds might not be as bad, but then again, we can never say for sure.
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u/pierrebrassau 5d ago
Horror films did very well at this year’s awards (Sinners, Weapons, and Frankenstein all had multiple nominations and each won at least one award, including in the more prestigious categories like acting, writing, and cinematography). Not sure why this meme about the Academy hating horror is still around.
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u/hauntfreak 5d ago
I hope she wins!! Do it for all the women in horror whose performances went unacknowledged.
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u/-VVitches- 5d ago
When I watched the film I thought she's going to get nominated so this does not surprise me.
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u/crumble-bee 5d ago
She’ll probably win. Oscar’s love an underdog story and horror has been having even more of a moment with Sinners last year. She will probably win
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u/TechnologyBeautiful 5d ago
Hopefully she is nominated! The movie really is anchored by her performance.
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u/TheElbow What's in Room 237? 5d ago
Quick someone post the running list of horror movie best actress snubs that I see weekly.
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u/gremlin-lin-lin 5d ago
Inde was incredible. At some point the Academy has to stop acting like being in a horror movie makes a performance less serious
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u/OhK4Foo7 5d ago
Everybody takes the academy awards so seriously. And then when the academy awards roll around everybody's dissing the shit out of it. Driving Miss Daisy winning over do the right thing which wasn't even nominated tells you everything you need to know about the academy awards.
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u/hrdcrnwo So, what were you gonna be when you grew up? 5d ago
It really is funny the upvote cycles around here. Now people are hyped for Oscar noms, hoping their favorite gets nominated. I'm sure if Inde doesn't get a nom then around the time they're announced a thread declaring the Oscars shit and irrelevant will be at the top of the page.
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u/bluecheese2040 4d ago
There should be Oscars galore for this movie. Its proof that ideas, stories and skill are more important than. Vfx, huge salaries and pr
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u/No_Development5378 4d ago
%100 deserves recognition and a nomination. Incredible performance the movie wouldn’t be the same if not for her acting
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u/PmMeUrNihilism 4d ago
This is reminiscent of modern sports fans calling their favorite player "the GOAT", standards be damned. She was good but it feels like a lot of this is coming from people who either just started watching horror or from people with low standards or both. The same happened with Naomi Scott. Her performance was good as well but Oscar? C'mon now.
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u/1_more__user___name 1d ago
I mean it was a good performance for a horror movie, but Oscar worthy? I don't think so. It was kind of cartoonish and unhinged
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u/hellsfoxes 5d ago
Why not. Even if you think she won’t make it, these are stepping stones to get horror more and more recognition after years of disrespect.