With one film, writer/director Curry Barker has guaranteed that I will be following his work from here on out. He takes a simple, even arguably silly concept and turns it into something completely terrifying and does it so effectively that you can’t look away from the screen.

And speaking of people whose work I’ll be following, Inde Navarrette is jaw-droppingly good here. The terror of the film rests almost solely on her shoulders, and she is absolutely terrifying.

Bear (Michael Johnson) is in love with his friend, Nikki (Navarrette) and can’t seem to be able to tell her. He’s her closest confidante and seems to be permanently friend-zoned. When he picks up a One Wish Willow at a New Age store, he buys it on a whim, intending it as a gift, but then uses it himself, and making a wish that Nikki loves him more than anyone else.

Sounds a little silly, but it plays out horrifically, and so smartly. It doesn’t give you a choice of whether or not you buy the conceit that the One Wish Willow works; it does, and Bear has to deal with the consequences of Nikki being in love with him.

There are some truly scary moments, from Nikki watching Bear sleep, to Bear calling the company number on the box, to a bloody encounter with Bear’s friend, Sarah (Megan Lawless)… it’s all designed to keep you on edge.

Keeping Nikki in the shadows a good percentage of the time, only forming a silhouette on the screen, is really unnerving, with just a pin light catching her eyes… It’s really scary.

This film is brilliantly done, tightly paced and shot. Barker eschews the widescreen format and almost shoots for old television screen size 4:3 to give a claustrophobic feel to the image. And every trick Barker uses works.

Bear, as a character, is readily identifiable and relatable, and you know he’s going to go too far when he uses the One Wish Willow (it can’t really work, can it?) and seeing his life come apart because of it is just something to see. And despite his relatability, he’s very much the villain of the piece because of how he puts his will and desire above Nikki’s. He wants an idealized version of her who loves him, and that is wrong on so many levels.

This one is a fantastic watch; I can’t believe it took me this long to get to it, but damn. This is definitely one to see, but I’m not sure it’s something I can rewatch; it’s really unnerving. The cat, the money, the sudden mood snaps, the physical violence….

just wow.

Loved it. Recommend it. See it once (at the very least)!