‘Obsession’ Review: The Tragedy of Falling in Love

Netflix has been betting lately on the Limited Series format. In this format, creators have the ability to tell stories that can have a beginning, a middle, and an end. For many years, it was a common trend that many TV shows would have fantastic first seasons, only to then fall away into mediocrity with second and subsequent seasons. Why? Because the creators had things in mind only to a certain point. Overextending a story is not easy, and it is mostly the perfect formula to ruin something that could have been perfect in a shorter form. Obsession is the latest of this limited series.

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and Benji Walters created the limited series. The show is based on the original novel ” Damage ” by Josephine Hart. The series starts with a fantastic cast of actors, which includes Richard Armitage, Charlie Murphy, Indira Varma, Rish Shah, and Pippa Bennett-Warner. The series tells the story of William, a very well-regarded surgeon, who one day meets Anna, a younger woman. The chemistry between the two is quite intense, but some problems exist. William is married, and Anna is his son’s girlfriend.

Obsession is quite an amazing series. This should be the standard for adapting novels like this for film or television. Obsession is only four episodes long, and each episode only has an average running time of about 40 minutes. So, we could say this is a very long movie divided into parts. Which is great. Sometimes, when watching a very long movie, breaks are needed. However, this format also allows for those few extra minutes that are necessary to develop everything together in a cohesive package. Not too long, not too short.

The series takes advantage of this format’s freedom and gives enough shining moments to even the smallest characters in the roster. This is a series that focuses completely on characters. You won’t find intense action sequences, conspiracies, or any lore related to this story. This is all about people and the decisions they make in their lives. So, it is of the utmost importance that these characters have the space to evolve and interact with each other.

Because this is a character-driven story, the story is carried on the shoulders of the actors, so casting is crucial to making this story believable. Richard Armitage and Charlie Murphy are the main characters in this terrific erotic thriller, and their chemistry is palpable and intense. You can definitely believe that these two characters are falling for each other, even when life tells them that it is not the right thing to do. The relationship between these two was vital for the story’s success, and they succeeded.

Richard Armitage goes back to the front of the cameras after his fantastic run as the voice of Trevor Belmont in Netflix’s Castlevania animated series. Armitage has been one actor who has mainly disappeared into the background in recent years. He has had a couple of projects here and there, like Berlin Station, but nothing that is quite high profile. It is nice to see him in a major role once again. Armitage has the acting chops to kill it in everything he does. There is so much more than the Hobbit movies in his future as an actor.

On the other hand, Charlie Murphy is a younger talent, but she has also been doing the grind for several years, including passing through shows like The Last Kingdom, which can be seen on Netflix. Murphy is incredibly capable, and in this role, she really brings her character, Anna, to life. She is the perfect femme fatale. Not only because she has the looks but also because she has the attitude. Anna is the most interesting character in the show, and Murphy makes you want to watch what she will do next.

The story itself, even when it is based on a novel, isn’t particularly original. Actually, you can say that the story is actually quite cliché. There are no big surprises or revelations in the show. You can see that this is not right from the very beginning, and you just have to wait and see how everything comes crashing down. It might be vicious, but there is definitely something about watching a show and seeing bad things happen to other people; the entire news industry is basically that. So, don’t expect anything original from this.

Visually, the show is quite gorgeous. The elegant direction creates a great sense of place in each scene. Wonderful visuals support this. The show is filled with very intense and intimate moments, and they are used very well by the director to connect or distance characters as the story needs it. The cinematography is clean and dramatic, which is what the show requires. Nothing here might be called outstanding, but it is quite solid. The show definitely avoids having that “Netflix look” that is so awful nowadays.

In the end, Obsession becomes quite an entertaining, dramatic, and intense erotic thriller that reflects very dark moments in human existence. It might not be really original, and it is definitely predictable. However, the direction and acting still manage to create tension, and the actors create nuanced characters to watch and follow through the entire four-episode run. Obsession should be standard for adaptations, and Netflix should aim to do more limited series like this one.

SCORE: 8/10