Now That ‘Obsession’ Is On Peacock, Can We Admit the Cat Death Makes No Sense?

By Anna Menta Published July 17, 2026, 11:30 a.m. ET Now that Obsession is streaming on Peacock, I have to vent about my biggest qualm with this hit horror movie: The death of Bear’s cat in Obsession makes absolutely no sense. Written and directed by Curry Barker, Obsession stars Michael Johnston as a young romantic named Bear, who works at a music shop alongside his childhood bestie and longtime crush, Nikki (break-out star Inde Navarrette). In order to help us feel sympathy for Bear—and to help create a ominous, horror movie mood that foreshadows the violence to come—Bear’s cat, Sandy, dies in one of the first scenes of the film. How? By consuming prescription pain killers, aka OxyContin. Here’s how it happens: Bear comes home and finds Sandy’s stiff, dead body on his kitchen floor. We s