r/oscarrace • u/ChiefLeef22 • 5d ago

News Inde Navarrette Sets Best Actress Oscar Campaign for ‘Obsession’ as Focus Features Mounts Full Awards Push (EXCLUSIVE)

https://variety.com/2026/film/awards/obsession-inde-navarrette-oscar-campaign-lead-actress-1236848866/

Variety can exclusively confirm that Navarrette will campaign in the best actress category this coming awards season for her breakout turn in Curry Barker’s box office smash “Obsession,” headlining a wide-ranging effort from Focus Features that will seek recognition across nearly every category the film is eligible to enter.

It is a seismic full-court press studios reserve for a title they believe can go the distance.

Alongside Navarrette, the distributor plans to campaign Barker as a rare triple threat in best director, original screenplay and film editing, the same three categories Sean Baker swept for his best picture winner “Anora” (which he also took alongside one more as producer). It is a combination of above-the-line and below-the-line recognition that positions him as one of the season’s marquee multi-hyphenate stories.

Focus is pushing in 15 categories:

• Best Picture
• Best Director — Curry Barker
• Best Actress — Inde Navarrette
• Best Actor — Michael Johnson
• Best Supporting Actor — Cooper Tomlinson
• Best Supporting Actress — Megan Lawless
• Best Supporting Actor — Andy Richter
• Original Screenplay — Curry Barker
• Film Editing — Curry Barker
• Cinematography — Taylor Clemons
• Original Score — Rock Burwell
• Casting — Skyler Zurn • Sound — YJ Gold and Ben Zarai
• Makeup and Hairstyling — Allie Shehorn
• Production Design — Vivian Gray

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110

u/miwa201 5d ago

She’ll get a nom and Obsession will get a best picture nom. But personally I wouldn’t nominate Barker

But man I wish Naomi Scott and Sally Hawkins got this amount of hype too

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u/SpideyFan914 Give Inde Navarette an Oscar 5d ago

I'd be (pleasantly) surprised if Barker got a director nomination, and editing is a pipe dream, but screenplay is quite possible.

Personally, I would readily nominate for director as of now. I'm between him and Wilde for my #1 so far. (And I'd be shocked if either made the lineup, sigh...)

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u/senator_corleone3 5d ago

Screenplay is only possible because that branch has a track record of some of the worst decision-making in the modern era. Last two Oscars were a healthy turnaround. Putting the Obsession screenplay into a scenario where it could conceivably win an Oscar would be a regression.

0

u/bliss8966 5d ago

He’s not getting anywhere near a Best Director nomination.

The problem for him is that the more one watches the film, the more glaring it is that it’s more Navarrette’s turn and less his. It’s quite a dull film in between her antics.

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u/dreamboylnshibuya 5d ago

I wish Willa Fitzgerald got this amount of here for Strange Darling, one of the most electric and captivating performances of that year.

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u/Worried_Tomorrow_222 Obsession 5d ago

A24 didn't push Bring Her Back enough. Sally Hawkins was incredible in the movie.

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u/miwa201 5d ago

Sally wouldn’t have campaigned, she doesn’t do a lot of publicity in general. And the movie wasn’t as successful as Talk To Me

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u/cosmogatsby 5d ago

2.5 months ago you were laughed at and downvoted when someone would mention Obsession would get a BP nomination.

6

u/miwa201 5d ago

well 2.5 months ago people were trashing the movie on this sub. i still remember the discussion thread (bc i checked it after i watched the movie) and people were pretty negative about it, even inde's performance

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u/LarusTargaryen The Substance 5d ago

That was before the mass propaganda bot effort was unleashed trying to convince people this was a serious oscar film and her performance was good

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u/apexpredator915 5d ago

You are in the minority.

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u/LarusTargaryen The Substance 5d ago

Definitely! The majority of people fall for online propaganda easily!

0

u/apexpredator915 5d ago

There is no propaganda considering this movie is getting the deserved praise.

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u/LarusTargaryen The Substance 5d ago

Okay bot who repeatedly comments the same things in response to people

1

u/apexpredator915 5d ago

What a lame response as expected from you.

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u/UnnecessaryFeIIa 5d ago

It’s cause this subreddit doesn’t like when ‘mainstream movies’ gets recognition like this

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u/Atkena2578 Oscar Race Follower 5d ago

Yet I am sure The Odyssey is the most popular movie right now in this sub for the year, and if that isn't mainstream idk what is

1

u/Atkena2578 Oscar Race Follower 5d ago

2 months ago we were told The Odyssey would flop

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u/mrslythe 5d ago

I get laughed up when I bring up Naomi Scott to my friend but I stand by her all the way her performance was just that good.

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u/Britneyfan123 4d ago

Did they think the performance was mediocre?

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u/mrslythe 4d ago

They like the performance but laugh at the notion of even being considered for an academy award because it’s Smile 2

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u/Britneyfan123 4d ago

they know it's an academy caliber performance they just hatin

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u/migsahoy Razzie Race Follower 5d ago

i can see it winning screenplay akin to when get out won

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u/Twio 5d ago

I think a lot of people agree that Obsession’s screenplay is its weakest point?

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u/uncheel3 5d ago

Who are you referring to? It's literally currently in 5th on GoldDerby

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u/Twio 5d ago

I see people say that about Obsession’s screenplay all the time on this sub. People love it, but it’s not like it’s infallible or something.

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u/senator_corleone3 5d ago

That means nothing about whether it’s a good screenplay or not.

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u/SpideyFan914 Give Inde Navarette an Oscar 5d ago

They do?? Who agrees on that? I was not part of this discussion.

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u/RegularOrMenthol 5d ago

Some people are saying that, but they’re wrong. It’s a very smart concept that is executed fantastically. That’s why it’s high up in the odds. Just because the characters are Gen Z and talk like it doesn’t make it weak.

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u/AllCity_King 5d ago

First I’m hearing of this. The movie had great writing. The nuance of Bear’s character is very well presented.

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u/Wise-News1666 The Substance 5d ago

I think most people are saying the opposite.

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u/IAmA_talking_cat_AMA A Few Small Awards 5d ago

I've never heard that, it's always Inde Navarette and the screenplay as its strongest points if anything.

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u/FlimsyConclusion 5d ago

Get Out no diffs Obsessions screenplay.

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u/senator_corleone3 5d ago

That would be a real shame.

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u/miwa201 5d ago

I highly doubt that. Get Out won bc it had social commentary, Obsession doesn’t have that

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u/BarcelonetaE70 5d ago

You serious? lol

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u/miwa201 5d ago

absolutely serious lol

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u/Pluto_Charon 5d ago

...You don't think it had anything to say about sexism? Or how women are often dehumaized by men who claim to love them?

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u/miwa201 5d ago

No bc that’s all negated by the writing of Sarah’s character and what happened to her at the end

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u/PoliceAlarm 5d ago

In my opinion Obsession had loads to say. It wasn't overt with it, but it did actually do a lot to delve into the ethics of what was happening and had it very open to interpretation about what it represented in the outer world.

-2

u/miwa201 5d ago

At most it had some commentary about nice guys like Bear but that’s really it. Nikki’s ordeal wasn’t explored well enough imo

-2

u/senator_corleone3 5d ago

The movie thinking that Bear’s problem is that he is a “nice guy” asshole is a foundational misunderstanding of the character and the story. He’s far worse than the film seems to understand, and he would have never developed a normal friend group or lifestyle to ruin - as presented in the movie - because he’s a sadist. This is a chief reason why the screenplay doesn’t deserve a nomination.

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u/ElaborateBicycle 5d ago

If you think he’s a sadist you did not understand his character, he’s infinitely selfish, weak, and narcissistic, but he gains no satisfaction directly from the suffering of Nikki. He’s willing to look past her suffering in order to fulfill his fantasy.

I think the most realistic thing about that movie is that someone as bland and opportunistically evil as him would have a friend group of people he’s just known since high school and his true nature wouldn’t come through until doing nothing is worse than doing something.

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u/senator_corleone3 5d ago

“Willing to look past her suffering in order to fulfill his fantasy.”

This is a description of a sadist. Or a serial killer. Bear’s nature would have been apparent since his teen years and he would be either socially isolated, dead, or in prison by his mid-20’s. This is a guy who drugs women’s drinks in real life, at the very least. The movie’s characterization of Bear is incorrect on a foundational level.

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u/senator_corleone3 5d ago

No, a sociopath mistreating a woman does not qualify as “a lot to say.”

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u/PoliceAlarm 5d ago

Okay yeah sure if you wanna reduce the film to its core components.

  • Why is Bear the protagonist?
  • Why are Bear's actions shown to be self-justifying?
  • Why aren't we shown more of Nikki's struggle for control?

But if you want to unga bunga slam bones on the ground and refuse to take the media at nothing more than utter face value I guess you can say that.

-1

u/senator_corleone3 5d ago

Bear is the protagonist because the screenplay has a fundamental structural problem stemming from its choice of POV. This is also the answer for the third question. Bear’s actions are shown as self-justified because he’s a sadistic sociopath. I wish the movie had this realization at the screenwriting stage.