Like with most people, I first encountered this title, this work of fiction, through the movie. The movie generated a lot of buzz and was very popular several months back, but for one reason or another, I wasn't able to catch it because I wasn't really into going to the cinema (which is slowly changing by the way 😀).

 

I first heard about this from a Toastmaster friend who suggested we watch the movie after one of our meetings. He was the same person who requested to watch the movie "Obsession." Unfortunately, our schedules did not align, and we weren't able to catch the movie screening at the cinema. 

 

Fast forward to May, when I attended one of the Philippine Astronomical Society's Astro camp (which I haven't blogged about here 😅), I learned that one of the prizes they gave away in a past Astro camp  was a copy of the book. This piqued my curiosity because that just shows this book is well-loved by those space enthusiasts. It was also timely because I was, at that time, slowly returning to my roots as a space nerd. I got a copy of the book and started reading that same month. 

 

I just finished the book today. I spent two months reading it. 😅 It could have taken me longer if not for my drive to watch the movie version soon,  because I learned that it is now available on Prime Video.

 

The premise of the story is interesting. However, even for someone who loves space, I got a bit overwhelmed with a lot of the technical explanations elaborated in the book regarding the physics and the chemistry involved in the plot. 😅 Still, things do get interesting when Dr. Grace, the protagonist, meets "Rocky", the alien, in his space journey. I enjoyed all their interaction in the book.

 

I've heard a lot of praises about the movie, that it was tear-jerking and had a plot twist at the end. I didn't want to get spoiled while still reading the book, that's why I was really looking forward to finishing reading the novel. However, when I did, the ending didn't move me, the way I expected it to.

 

Overall, I would give it a 4/5. It's not something that I would remember for long after reading it. Let's see how it pans out when I watch the movie, which I plan to do at the end of this week. 😁

First and foremost, I have to say that I wouldn't think I would be here writing about this kind of review on the blog because this type of movie is something I would never watch on my own (because I am a scaredy-cat😅). However, through socializing and being with people who are different from me, I tend to experience things I never thought I would experience for myself. Watching this horror movie is one of those experiences. 😅

It was a very energetic day after a Toastmasters meeting, and most of the members were hyped and still had a lot of energy for socializing. As part of our usual routine, we wanted to do something to bond together after the meeting. One of our members suggested watching this movie. Fortunately, we had a member who lives nearby, and she was kind enough to host this impromptu team-building activity. There were around 10 of us who came to our member's place, and all of us made ourselves comfortable on their sofa, in front of the TV. It was the perfect place to watch a movie because they had great speakers, which contributed to the horror-movie experience.

I knew my tolerance for horror movies. I feel brave watching horror movies when I'm with my friends or in a group because I enjoy the collective screaming that we do. 😆For this movie, Obsession, I have heard of it from months back because of all the social media noise that it had several months back. I already have seen a lot of memes and references about the movie so I very well know the plot and how it ends. But of course, it's still a different experience watching the actual movie itself. I am not ashamed to admit that I had my hands on my face during some  scenes, especially during the latter part of the movie when things were really going crazy.

Even though I was afraid and feeling uneasy about the movie, I felt safe in real life because someone was holding my space and my energy. I am thankful for that person for holding space for me and letting me know that there is someone who would protect me in real life. 😍

Of course, I very well know that the movie is just fiction and a product of the imagination, but there were some overlaps of elements in the film that I subscribe to in real life. One specific example is the reference to the tiger's eye crystal. Well I actually had a crystal bracelet of that that night, which was uncanny. I felt ambivalent about mentioning it to them, so I didn't anymore. Else, I would feel more creeped out. Also, I know for myself that I easily get disturbed by works of fiction in all spans of genre, may it be horror, suspense, thriller, or even romance. I am sensitive to feeling intense emotional energy. I remember years back, I had nightmares following a visit to an escape room so I guess I really have to watch out for myself in consuming these kinds of content.

I've read that this was a low-budget film, and I see how that played throughout the movie. Of course, how you do a horror movie is all about the execution. Those who have watched the movie would surely highlight or mention the same scenes that really creeped under their skin. Even though I was half-closing my eyes, I still saw some of them. It was very unsettling. However, I have to say that it was very satisfying to have our collective screams that night. Expectedly, it was mostly the girls who were really screaming their lungs out.  😆 The part that I don't like was having flashbacks of specific scenes from the movie when I'm alone, and that's what happened the night after watching it. It didn't help that I was still running on caffeine due to the coffee I drank over dinner. I also already had sleeping issues. I have my meds for it, but initially I decided to not take it because it would contradict with the effects of the caffeine. However, I just couldn't sleep, up until the wee hours of the morning. I eventually took my meds and tried to sleep at 3AM, with the lights on because I was still feeling afraid. 😆 As expected, I woke up very groggy and tired the next day.

I have to say that one thing I learned about myself in this movie experience is that I really need to be cautious on how the materials I consume would affect me. I don't need to avoid them, but I have to know my boundaries. I need to supervise myself when consuming these kinds of content because it affects me in ways that are not good for my mental health. 

 But overall, it was a great experience. I got to bond with my fellow Toastmaster friends. It was a memorable fellowship night. If we're going to have another movie marathon, I would suggest that we avoid the horror genre and maybe select a lighter mood for a movie. Perhaps a sci-fi or an animation, or something that is just light on the senses. 

Still, it was a great experience, and it was wonderful to bond over this movie with my fellow members that night. ✨