Obsession star Michael Johnston has queer fans spiraling.
By Cameron Scheetz
Looks like queer horror fans have a new obsession!
Over the weekend, the be-careful-what-you-wish-for tale Obsession scared up over $23 million at the box office, making it a proper indie hit, with enough positive word-of-mouth to earn the title of “the highest-rated horror movie of 2026.”
The directorial debut of YouTube phenomenon Curry Barker, it follows a lovesick young man named Bear (Michael Johnston) who, tired of being friend-zoned, makes a wish on a silly gift shop tchotchke that his coworker Nikki (Inde Navarrette) would love him more than anyone else in the world.
Unfortunately for him—and even more unfortunate for Nikki—that wish is magically granted a bit too literally, as Nikki becomes so intensely devoted that she loses all sense of self. We wouldn’t dare spoil what dark turns Obsession takes from there, but it’s definitely one of the freakier, more unsettling films we’ve seen in a minute.
And we of course mean that as a compliment!
Almost immediately, audiences began singling on Navarrette’s brilliant performance, calling for her to be recognized at the Oscars much in the way Amy Madigan was for last year’s Weapons. Frequently swinging between lovingly devoted and totally unhinged at a moment’s notice, it’s genuinely astounding work that should make her a star & become the stuff of horror movie legend for years to come.
Next to her delightfully demonic portrayal, Johnston’s Bear is a quieter role, yet a deceptively complex one: Before things spiral out of control, he’s all too willing to go along with the fantasy, ignoring the signs that something’s very wrong and showing us how all-too-easy it is for even the “good” straight guys out there to deny a woman’s agency so long as it serves their needs.
That makes it all the more fun that, unlike his character, Michael Johnston is gay in real life. And discovering that in light of Obsession‘s success has some fans very excited.
But it’s not like this is new information! It’s just that the bulk of Johnston’s career thus far has been behind-the-scenes as a voice actor, so his on-camera work in such a buzzy project is pushing the 30-year-old star into the spotlight in a whole new way.
And, actually, he’s already played gay in his most well-known role thus far: He joined the fifth season of MTV’s popular supernatural drama Teen Wolf in 2015 as teen Corey Bryant who gets turned by his ex-boyfriend into a shape-shifting creature called a Chimera.
Despite the terrifying new form he could take and his superhuman powers, Corey eventually becomes an ally to the show’s wolf pack heroes, thanks especially to his relationship with Mason (Khylin Rhambo). And even though the character was already out at school, he also becomes a metaphor for the pains of a closeted life as he tries to hide his truth from the world.
Reflecting on the role for a new interview in Anthem Magazine, Johnston says he had no idea what that representation would mean to people, revealing he’d received thousands of messages from queer fans over the years who shared how much seeing Corey on Teen Wolf helped them through their journeys.
Around that same time, Johnston starred in an indie comedy called Slash, playing a teen who begins exploring his sexuality through writing erotic slash fiction about male characters in his favorite book series. Looking back, the actor says both of these roles “absolutely” helped him better understand himself, and that he’s now “very proud” of who he is.
In the decade since, Johnston’s kept incredibly busy, especially with voice acting work for popular video game series like Kingdom Hearts and God Of War. He’s also dabbled in music, showing off his full vocal range as a singer-songwriter with original songs like “Gravity” which comes complete with an adorable music video.
Now with his breakthrough turn in Obsession earning rave reviews, Johnston’s bracing for what’s next.
He tells Anthem he’s “looking forward to having more choices” in his career, eager to step into queer roles that feel “intentional and authentic,” while also stressing that a character’s sexuality is never the first thing he’s looking at: “I approach every role with the same honesty and try to find the humanity in it… It’s more important that I connect with the story.”
The actor also admits he hasn’t discussed his personal life much in the past, adding “I’m still trying to figure out how I want to navigate all of this” in light of all the newfound attention.
And while we absolutely want to respect that privacy, we take pride in the fact that not one but two members of our community (Navarrette identifies as bisexual) are leading one of the scariest, most exciting movies out there right now, one with an already obsessive fan base that’s growing each day!
Here’s hoping Obsession doesn’t just turn out actors Michael Johnston & Inde Navarrette into modern horror icons, but major household names.
Obsession is now playing in theaters everywhere.
Source: https://www.queerty.com/horrors-hottest-new-scream-king-obsession-star-michael-johnston-has-queer-fans-spiraling-20260519/
