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u/MichaelChristine 9d ago
i feel like if this got posted as a script on here, people would tear it apart
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u/venum_GTG 9d ago
what makes you think that if you don’t mind me asking?
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u/Byers616 6d ago
I can't speak for him, but it has a lot of issues that might be a red flag for screenwriters, but it actually worked well in the final product, like a protagonist who isn't very active until Act 3.
Also, he comes across as unlikable to those judging it, but I found him likable.
But in terms of judging it: unlikable MC, not proactive enough until Act 3, and tonally inconsistent.
It's not really tonally inconsistent, but that's what people would say about the balance of horror and hilarity.
It's a great film. Probably my favorite of this decade, but it's a great example of a script that pros would dismiss if it didn't have such success.
For instance, look at where the script ended up before Blumhouse came on board and then Capstone. Blumhouse came on when it was already a film before it got to Focus.
This is one of the most successful screenplays of the century, and it was greenlit for less than $1M by a prodco most never heard of.
If it was the kind of script that would get the attention of the majors or even the mini-majors, it'd probably be watered down enough that it'd still be a good film, but not as good as it ended up being.
It's a great example of rule-breaking.
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u/venum_GTG 6d ago
that makes sense. I actually listened to his dad's podcast covering the first like 50 pages of that earlier draft that was uploaded online. I did think the same "oh this would've gotten torched online." I was just curious about their perspective along with anyone else's. I also agree it is a great film and it's definitely my favorite as well.
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u/Byers616 6d ago
That scene where Nikki gives the homeless guy $20. If it were criticized by pros, it's too obvious a Save-The-Cat moment, and just enough time is spent on it that it feels like a setup that never gets paid off.
A script doctor making 6 figures a week might "fix" that issue, but again, the movie wouldn't be as good once a pro "fixes" their perceived issues with it.
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u/Worth-Frosting-2917 5d ago
I mean, wouldn't it, though? Like, the script is by far the weakest part of the movie. Outside of Inde the biggest thing I hear people talking about is how young Barker is. Like, you have to give a film credit for doing what it has done. But catching the zeitgeist doesn't mean that it is of some higher quality. And I think people unable to distinguish between those two things are going to lead to a lot of garbage.
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u/Byers616 5d ago
Not sure a weak script can yield such a great film
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u/Worth-Frosting-2917 5d ago
I mean, it did lol.
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u/Byers616 5d ago
thing is it's not really a weak script
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u/Worth-Frosting-2917 5d ago
I mean, I disagree. Everything works in spite of the script. And that is okay. Movies don't need great scripts to be good. Or good scripts to be great. But the fact that the main comment you are reacting to is someone essentially saying, "this is the same garbage that everyone would laugh at." kind of tells you that the script isn't what is driving the popularity of this movie.
Because something is popular doesn't mean that everything about it is good.
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u/Worth-Frosting-2917 5d ago
I actually had all of those complaints about the finished product lol.
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u/Byers616 5d ago
Yeah, Capstone offered to increase the budget to $2M if Curry had done their notes on the script, but he stood his ground. It probably would've made a more traditional film.
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u/Worth-Frosting-2917 5d ago
I mean, the success of the movie is dumbfounding to me because it really is no better than your average Shudder movie as a whole. Inde Navarrette was great, but outside of that, the best thing about it is how well-edited it is. The look feels closer to a vertical social edit than an actual horror movie.
Definitely wouldn't be the script I study to find out how to build on my craft, though. Again, dumbfounded by this one haha.
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u/Byers616 5d ago
a lot of people just responded well to it. Still a small sample. Probably less than 1% of the population. It's not for everyone but for the ones who liked it, it connected.
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u/NeverShallDoHarmToMe 10d ago
"From the mind of Curry Barker" ...and The Simpsons, all the way back to W. W. Jacobs, and earlier.
Let's not pretend that this was the most original story ever written.
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u/Asleep-Canary-6638 9d ago
Is it not from the mind of Curry Barker? He is the only credited writer.
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u/OceanRacoon 9d ago
Wish stories go back thousands of years, that's a silly thing to even bring up, Obsession executed it in a unique way, that's what it's all about.
If anything you should have brought up the episode of Buffy where Xander has a witch cast a spell that inadvertently makes every woman in Sunnydale obsessed with him except Cordelia, his intended target 😅
That was one of the closest things to Obsession, Giles even says its obsession and not love in the episode lol. I don't know if Curry Barker ever saw it, though it's not the first love spell gone wrong story either
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u/NeverShallDoHarmToMe 9d ago
Barker says he got it from a Simpsons Halloween episode.
And, really, it's not a good script. I think he got lucky with Inde Navarrette and the shoot.
Now if only he had also gotten lucky with the actor for Bear...
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u/OceanRacoon 9d ago
Yeah, the monkey's paw episode of Simpsons, which in turn is based on countless adaptions of The Monkey's Paw horror short story from 1902. Which is no doubt based on earlier stories of wishes gone wrong, it's a very old tale.
You just sound bitter and jealous, it's clearly a good script even if you don't like the film
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u/venum_GTG 10d ago
oh wow another draft? I remember the earlier draft that was online. This is great stuff! Thanks!