Obsession review: An underwhelming execution of a sensual story

Obsession is the latest addition to Netflix's list of erotic dramas. The four-episode mystery thriller limited series arrived on the streaming platform on Thursday, April 13, 2023, exclusively on Netflix. Based on Josephine Hart's novel, Damage, the miniseries has been directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D'Sa. Along with Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and Benji Walters, Hart has also worked as the writer for the miniseries.

As stated in the official synopsis for Obsession, released by Netflix:

"A respected London surgeon's affair with his son's fiancée turns into an erotic infatuation that threatens to change their lives forever."

The British limited series mainly focuses on the themes of overbearing obsession and infatuation, woven with erotic melodrama. The lead cast members of the miniseries include Richard Armitage as William, Charlie Murphy as Anna Barton, Indira Varma as Ingrid, and Rish Shah as Jay Farrow. While the cast has all given solid performances, the story falls short in terms of execution.

Disclaimer: This article will contain spoilers for the Netflix miniseries.

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A review of Obsession: A tale of obsessive romance fit for a one-time watch

Obsession depicted the story of a brilliant surgeon developing an intense sensual obsession with his son's fiancé, leading to the destruction of his family and the terrible death of his son. The storyline of the series had a lot of potential to create a captivating miniseries, but, it was unable to reach that point due to its poor writing.

Writers of the Netflix series attempted to present it in a dramatic and sensuous manner. However, the series came across as melodramatic and even extremely dull at several points. The dialogs were weak, and even when they came from actors like Richard Armitage and Indira Varma, they failed to have an impact. Thus, the writing of the miniseries was a big letdown.

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Promising direction saved the miniseries from being monotonous

Despite the writing not being up to the mark, the direction in the miniseries was quite impressive and made the limited series interesting to a certain level. The directors did a good job of capturing the mysterious atmosphere throughout the entire series.

Several sequences in the series were able to bring intensity to the series that it desperately needed. Especially scenes such as the one where the series' lead character Anna laid out her rules, or the one where Jay found out about his father William, and his fiancé Anna's affair.

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Gripping acting by the lead actors was the biggest highlight of the limited series

Despite having many flaws, the erotic miniseries is still worth the watch because of the lead cast members' commitment to their respective characters.

Charlie Murphy, who portrayed one of the leads in the series, Anna, was absolutely phenomenal in her portrayal of the complex character. She brilliantly showcased the steady numbness that her character possessed throughout the four episodes. The actress delved deep into the character and brought out all the layered nuances that Anna was supposed to carry from the very beginning of the story.

Scenes like the one where she found out about her mother, knowing the truth about her and her late brother, or the one where she walked past the dead body of her fiancé Jay, are quite engaging to watch.

Another lead actor in the miniseries, Richard Armitage, who played the pivotal role of William, has done an incredible job portraying the obsessive and remorseless character. The actor carried the complicated yet subtle traits of the character with utmost efficiency, giving the audience a powerful performance throughout.

Other actors on the cast list for Obsession, playing significant roles, entail Rish Shah as Jay Farrow and Indira Varma as Ingrid. The two also did a great job of playing their roles.

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Catch Obsession, which is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.