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Obsessions

Obsessions

196990 minMidcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Director
Pim de la Parra
Starring
Alexandra Stewart, Dieter Geissler, Tom van Beek, Donald Jones

A young medical student observes his neighbour's love life through a hole in his apartment wall.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Obsessions?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Obsessions streaming on IndiePix Unlimited via Prime Video, Midnight Pulp via Prime Video and Tubi (free).

Your rating, lists and review

Reception

Is Obsessions worth watching?

Obsessions' Midcredits score is the 23rd percentile of all films, from 1.1K ratings across 4 sources. 27% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

23rd percentile

Better received than 23% of films

18th percentile among Drama20th percentile among 1960s
Acclaim (how much people like it)30th
Approval (how many liked it)18th

55 /100

30th percentile of all films

26th percentile among Drama22nd percentile among 1960s

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

Approval

How many liked it

27% liked it

18th percentile of all films

13th percentile among Drama18th percentile among 1960s
27% rated it 7–1073% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

42nd percentile

1.1K ratings across platforms

45th percentile among Drama41st percentile among 1960s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 13% in 30 days

Box office

BudgetNLG 700K

In Dutch guilder, not converted to dollars.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a slow-burn Hitchcockian thriller about a peeping medical student.

Fans praised

  • authentic acting
  • strong conclusion and fun twist
  • worthwhile characters

Detractors panned

  • incoherent plot
  • terrible lead performance
  • dated soundtrack

What stands out

Ending65

strong conclusion and fun twist

ActingDivisive60

authentic vs terrible lead

CharactersDivisive55

worthwhile plotting vs confusing identities

Plot and storyDivisive35

twists and turns vs incoherent mess

Pacing35

slow burn, wishes more happened

Originality30

Rear Window homage

Sound and music20

ghastly dated soundtrack

Watch experience

What is Obsessions like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you want something serious and affecting.

It takes its time and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseContemplativeDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its voyeuristic premise with grim seriousness, building tension through observation rather than irony.
The rideThe film maintains a tense, contemplative atmosphere with increasing dread, culminating in a strong conclusion per reviews.
StructureThe story unfolds in a straightforward chronological manner from the discovery of the hole through escalating observations and consequences.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's paranoid atmosphere and ambiguous morality linger, leaving a sense of unease and questions about identity and deception.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA medical student discovers a peephole into a neighbor's room and becomes drawn into a web of secrets and deception, the central question being what is truly happening behind the wall.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfDeception
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Deception · 9% of filmsObsession · 3% of films: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Identity · 14% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how voyeurism entangles Nils in a web of hidden truths and deceptive appearances that transform his sense of self.
StanceThe film questions the nature of deception and voyeurism within Nils' personal journey, without celebrating or condemning outright.

The world

ContemporaryDomesticUrbanRealistic
Orchestral classicalExperimentalSupportive music · original score · Bernard Herrmann
Settinga rented room in Amsterdam, with a hidden peephole into a neighbor's space
MusicHerrmann's score blends dated orchestral cues with modernist jazz flourishes, creating a jarring but distinctive soundscape.

Content guide

Is Obsessions okay for kids?

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany18

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Obsessions have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Obsessions?

Cast

Alexandra Stewart
as Marina
Dieter Geissler
as Nils Janssen
Tom van Beek
as Joseph Edward Petrucci
Donald Jones
as Otto Fabian
Marijke Boonstra
as Stella Olsen
Vibeke Løkkeberg
as 2nd Girl
Fons Rademakers
as Raoul Orlov
Victoria Naelin
as Nils' Mother
Sara Heyblom
as Old Lady
Ingeborg Uyt den Boogaard
as Raoul's Wife

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Obsessions?

Movies like Obsessions include Monsieur Hire (1989), Red Lights (2012) and Irresistible (2006). Of the 12 closest matches, all are psychological thrillers, and several are films about obsession.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its story type: enigma. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Obsessions?

2.2K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: scientist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.