8 Great Shows Perfect for Fans of ‘Obsession’

The world of horror was shaken at the shocking success of the newfound classic, Obsession. The low-budget indie film from Curry Barker follows Bear Bailey (Michael Johnston), a lonely music store employee who uses a novelty “One Wish Willow” to make his unrequited crush, Nikki Freeman (Inde Navarrette), love him. The wish works, but it turns Nikki into a violent, murderous entity. Obsession became pop culture’s latest obsession.

If you loved the film and enjoyed similar movies, it may be time to find some television shows to fill the void. You’re bound to be obsessed with these TV series. From shocking stories of obsessed stalkers to action thrillers with protagonists who are obsessed with the chase, these shows are addictive binge-watches. We’ll even toss in a show that features one of the film’s stars! If you become obsessed, don’t blame us!

‘Baby Reindeer’ (2024)

Image via Netflix 

Sometimes the best works of art are derived from personal experience. Learning that the story of Baby Reindeer is inspired by real events makes it an even more unsettling and horrific premise. And yet, that’s why Richard Gadd‘s series made such shockwaves. Based on the play of the same name, Baby Reindeer tells the story of struggling comedian Donny Dunn (Gadd), whose harmless act of offering a cup of tea to a vulnerable woman, Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), sparks a suffocating obsession that shatters both their lives. An autobiographical drama, Baby Reindeer dives deep into a harrowing past in which Donny experiences manipulation and sexual abuse at the hands of an older industry mentor. What begins as a simple tale of stalking evolves into a twisted story of trauma, guilt, and the complex cycle of abuse. Baby Reindeer is more than just a villain-and-victim dynamic depicting deeply flawed human beings whose toxic interactions stem from profound psychological struggles.

Baby Reindeer is a raw, deliberately ambiguous drama that forces viewers to decide how and why the cycle is perpetuated. The seven-episode series shows how Donny’s own loneliness, self-loathing, and poor decisions sometimes fueled Martha’s delusions, ultimately forcing him to confront deeply buried trauma and reclaim his life. There is a breathtaking authenticity in the script. Gadd avoids sensationalizing its themes. Instead, Baby Reindeer becomes an unflinching examination of a serious ordeal through complex character studies. While it may lack the supernatural elements of Obsession, it captures the dangerous allure of the affair and the stalker’s twisted motivations. They both use dark comedy to provide moments of levity, but in Baby Reindeer, the true-story element makes the humor serve to mask discomfort.

‘Fatal Attraction’ (2023)

Image via Paramount+

There are quite a few brilliant roles that Glenn Close played, but Alex Forrest remains one of the most iconic. And yet, in 2023, Paramount+ attempted to capture lightning in a bottle again with a serialized version of the 1987 erotic thriller Fatal Attraction. In the eight-episode thriller, the story has been modernized and explores two timelines. In the past, District Attorney Dan Gallagher (Joshua Jackson) engaged in a passionate but brief affair with a colleague, Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan). When Dan tries to end the relationship, Alex’s growing obsession leads to increasingly erratic, threatening, and dangerous behavior, ultimately resulting in her death. 15 years later, Dan is paroled from prison, having been convicted of her murder. He is determined to clear his name and reconnect with his ex-wife, Beth (Amanda Peet), and his now-grown daughter, Ellen (Alyssa Jirrels), while navigating a complex web of doubt and betrayal. A massive expansion on the decade-defining film, Fatal Attraction examines the terrors of casual infidelity and an unstable stalker with further nuance and depth.

If you’re familiar with the film, this series expands the story in an intriguing manner, turning the story into a whodunnit. Instead of painting Alex Forrest as a one-dimensional villain, the series fleshes out her background, struggles, and motives. Then, it sheds new light on Dan and Beth Gallagher, especially when it’s revealed that Dan may have been innocent all along. Like Obsession, the story is rooted in an exploration of consequences. Dan is shown as a flawed man whose selfish choices have a ripple effect on his family. It adds layers, making it feel much more personal. Fatal Attraction and Obsession highlight toxic, boundary-crossing relationships where destructive infatuation ultimately shatters the lives of everyone involved. While Fatal Attraction went from film to series, don’t expect Obsession to do the same. At least for now.

‘Killing Eve’ (2018–2022)

If you’re looking for a bloody good time, look no further than Killing Eve. Based on the Villanelle novel series by Luke Jennings, the hit black dramedy spy thriller follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a brilliant but restless British intelligence investigator. She is tasked with hunting down a psychopathic and highly skilled assassin named Villanelle (Jodie Comer). As the lethal cat-and-mouse chase spans across Europe, the two women develop a twisted, mutual obsession with one another. Renowned for blending international espionage with dark comedy and intense psycho-sexual drama, Killing Eve thrives on the sizzling chemistry of a wonderfully yet toxic dynamic.

Killing Eve stands tall as a brilliant and important series as it subverts the standard male-dominated action and spy genres. The show focuses on complicated, flawed women navigating environments where they are often underestimated. With each new season written by a different female head writer—Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emerald Fennell, Suzanne Heathcote, and Laura Neal—Killing Eve had a different energy and vibe. This kept the series refreshing. No matter who is writing, the show is all about Oh and Comer. Oh evolves from a relatable, bored desk agent into a hardened investigator in brilliant fashion. It’s Comer who gives one of the greatest performances of the century as the unpredictable assassin. Though they are very different types of cat-and-mouse games, Killing Eve, like Obsession, is a thrilling joyride that escalates into a dangerously fascinating story. The predatory-obsessed characters are some of the most enticing to watch.

‘Superman & Lois’ (2021–2024)

Image via The CW

Now, before you start questioning if we’re calling one of these iconic characters obsessive, hold your horses. We’re not. Likely a reason why you’re obsessed with Obsession is because of Inde Navarrette’s mind-blowing performance. Well, Obsession and Superman & Lois share talent! Navarrette plays Sarah Cushing, the wild child daughter of Kyle Cushing (Erik Valdez) and Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui), who befriends the Kent boys. Now that we’ve established the connection and reason for the entry, let’s discuss Superman & Lois. The CW series from Todd Helbing and Greg Berlanti tells the story of the Man of Steel, Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin), and famous journalist Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) as they navigate the stresses of modern parenthood. Returning to Smallville, they face the ultimate challenge: raising their twin sons while balancing their heroic responsibilities and battling formidable villains. Depicting the balance of high-stakes global crises and everyday family life, Superman & Lois blends thrilling action with grounded interpersonal storytelling that furthers the world-building of the beloved characters.

The Man of Steel is grounded in parental life in this relatable four-season drama. There’s a lot of humanity in Superman & Lois. Watching Clark struggle as a father trying to connect with his teenage sons while bearing the enormous weight of being a hero. Hoechlin and Tulloch may be portraying iconic characters, but they have more freedom than ever to build upon. The traditional relationship dynamic is gone as their love is established. Now, they work as a formidable team. Further, Lois is a powerhouse investigative journalist with complexity and nuance beyond that of the former damsel in distress. Though the themes of the film and the series couldn’t be further apart, Navarrette is a delight. She brought a natural charm and relatability that served as a counterweight to the superhero elements. At least the romance between Sarah and Jordan Kent (Alex Garfin) didn’t end up deadly.

‘Supernatural’ (2006–2020)

Image via The CW

Perhaps you might think that the only similarity between Supernatural and Obsession is that both titles utilize supernatural elements in their storytelling. But with some Internet sleuths uncovering that director Curry Barker may have lifted some ideas straight from the long-running CW series. But first, Supernatural. The beloved 15-season drama centers on brothers Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles), who travel the United States in a 1967 Chevy Impala to “hunt” evil paranormal forces. On their journey, they encounter vengeful ghosts, demons, monsters, angels, and various mythological deities that threaten humanity. A family-first series that utilized the monster-of-the-week format, Supernatural became the perfect comfort watch.

Now, to the Supernatural universe in Barker’s work. Some fans have pondered whether the director’s projects are simply Supernatural without the Winchester boys. Barker’s microbudget mammoth hit bears resemblance to the Season 4 episode “Wishful Thinking,” in which Sam and Dean investigate a small town where a wishing well grants wishes with disastrous results, like a suicidal teddy bear and a man winning the lottery but becoming a target, all stemming from a cursed coin. One character, Wes Mondale (Ted Raimi), wishes for his fiancée to love him more than anyone else in the world. And, like Nikki, it got violent. Barker’s upcoming project, Anything But Ghosts, a story that follows two con artists who claim to be ghostbusters. It has an eerily similar plot to the Supernatural Season 3 episode, “Ghostfacers.” Here, Sam and Dean are themselves unwilling stars of a reality TV show called “Ghostfacers,” led by the bumbling paranormal investigators Ed Zeddmore (A.J. Buckley) and Harry Spengler (Travis Wester). Coincidence or not, Barker is the hottest commodity in Hollywood right now.

‘Tell Me Lies’ (2022–2026)

Image via Hulu

In this series, the gaslighting is all natural. The fandom’s obsession with the drama allowed Tell Me Lies to have three massive seasons. Created by Meaghan Oppenheimer, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Carola Lovering, Tell Me Lies chronicles the tumultuous, deeply toxic, co-dependent relationship between college students Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White). Unfolding over eight long years, their manipulative romance permanently alters not only their own lives but the dynamics of everyone in their circle. Tell Me Lies is a painfully realistic portrayal of toxic relationships, psychological gaslighting, and attachment wounds that captures the unfiltered dynamics of codependency and deceit.

Tell Me Lies is built to frustrate you. It’s all due to the precise writing and excruciatingly authentic performances. Though the show begins as an exploration of morally grey individuals, by the end, no one is innocent, leaning to the dark side without concern. Using a dual timeline mechanic, most of the series is dipped in the addictive nostalgia of the late 2000s. It depicts college before the dating apps. And yet, watching the characters navigate gaslighting and emotional whiplash is intense, and yet somehow, Tell Me Lies is an engrossing guilty-pleasure show. Both Tell Me Lies and Obsession document dark, all-consuming, and toxic relationship dynamics. While Obsession is a short thrill ride, Tell Me Lies is like watching a never-ending train wreck in slow motion. Like Obsession, Tell Me Lies will sweep you up in toxicity and warn you about those red flags in your life.

‘The Affair’ (2014–2019)

Image via Showtime

At first, the premise of an affair sounds intriguing. That is, until it gets out of hand. Such is the case in Showtime’s five-part drama The Affair. The psychological thriller examines the emotional toll of infidelity. The story centers on Noah Solloway (Dominic West), a married novelist, and Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson), a local waitress, who begin a destructive affair while summering in Montauk, New York. Told through shifting, unreliable perspectives that reveal how drastically people remember events differently, The Affair splits each episode into two parts, showing the same events through the distinct, subjective memories of Noah and Alison. As the affair shatters their original marriages, the narrative expands in later seasons to include the jilted spouses, Helen Butler (Maura Tierney) and Cole Lockhart (Joshua Jackson), as they deal with the fallout.

With an innovative he-said-she-said premise, The Affair is an addictive watch. The approach brilliantly demonstrates how memory bias, personal insecurity, and varying emotional states shape our perception of reality. It truly gives viewers a chance to choose their perspective. With each given scenario, things change from the attire to the tone of the conversation, and even who is in control. There’s truly not been a series quite like it. Like Obsession, The Affair depicts the destructive, all-consuming nature of forbidden romance. The series operates as a slow-burning psychological deep dive into how these choices shatter lives. And spoiler, they’re largely unfixable. The Affair is as juicy as a melodrama should be, with a body count you won’t believe.

‘You’ (2018–2025)

Image via Netflix

Once upon a time, you saw Penn Badgley as a heartthrob. Then Gossip Girl ended the way it did. Then, you heard he was leading a new show called You, and you’ve never looked at the actor the same. Based on the books by Caroline Kepnes, You follows the dangerously charming and intensely obsessive bookstore manager Joe Goldberg (Badgley). The story chronicles his lethal journey as he falls for different women, using stalking and murder to remove any obstacles—including people—that stand in the way of his twisted pursuit of “love”. A twisted take on the classic romantic comedy, told entirely through the antagonist’s eyes, You pulls viewers in through Joe’s inner monologue as he justifies his controlling behavior and violent acts. Through each season, Joe attempts to start fresh as his obsessions take him to new locales, preying on new targets, including Guinevere Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti).

Although you become a reluctant accomplice to Joe through his terrifying compulsions and crimes, the appeal is watching his twisted acts of love and protection. You operates as an intense commentary on internet privacy and the dangers around the accessibility of our digital footprints and how they become weaponized. It serves as a mirror to modern dating in the digital age, toxic traits, and the dangers of romantic idealization. If there’s ever been a television character who would make the same wish as Bear, no doubt, it’s Joe Goldberg. The poster child of toxic masculinity, Joe is so despicable that you are completely engrossed in You as you patiently wait for Joe to get what’s coming to him. Key word: patiently. Though we know that he’s anything but, Joe is presented as the “nice guy” archetype, quite like Bear. Like Badgley, Johnston is equally dreamy, so there’s no doubt you might give his character some leeway.