The day that I’m writing this, I saw the new film Obsession (2026) in the cinema. Not the one I work at unfortunately, so had to give money to a larger corporation. There were a few elements that sparked my interest: the obvious sexual abuse, the need for control, and of course the elements of incest in the story segment that ‘Nikki’ reads at the party. But, connecting to writing that I already have on hand, I thought about the almost immediate urinating when ‘Nikki’ is left on her own. We see shortly after that she does not just wet her self but defecates and releases other bodily fluids over the course of the day while stood in one spot, however a film so blatantly about sexual abuse having a shot entirely focused on what appears to be urinary incontinence stands out as an important discussion in my books.
I have previously written about urinary incontinence in survivors of sexual abuse in an essay in which I discuss The Exorcist (1973). In my essay, I describe how ‘Incontinence or a lack of bladder control are signs attributed to those experiencing or having had experienced child sexual abuse or other childhood traumas, and it is suggested that “physical and psychological damage could cause increased tension of the pelvic floor muscles, which may lead to [urination issues].”’[1] Yet, few films show this aspect of sexual abuse trauma. When it is shown, it is mostly in child characters (such as Regan in The Exorcist, who is not explicitly sexually abused in the film) as there is a wider understanding of bladder control issues in young people who are less distanced from a pre-toilet-trained life. One film that does show urinary incontinence in an older character is Brian in Mysterious Skin (2004) – a film which is explicitly about how two teenage boys deal with their shared childhood sexual abuse in different ways. Bed wetting is another way that urinary incontinence can be shown that is more widely understood by audiences due to the period of sleep giving way to uncontrollable bodily functions. This lack of bodily awareness in sleep gives way for an acceptance of behaviours that would otherwise be judged or frowned upon, as we see in those who sleepwalk. Somnambulism (the name given to actions performed while one is in deep sleep) can result in people urinating in places that they typically wouldn’t – i.e. not in a toilet – during their period of unconsciousness.[2]
In ‘Nikki’, we may view her actions while ‘possessed’ as somnambulism. While the real Nikki is not in control of her body, the entity that is possessing her has to make the decision to treat her body with respect. The reason for ‘Nikki’ not moving all day is because she has been cursed to love the main character (Bear) more than anyone else. This results in a complete lack of interest in doing anything for anyone other than him, including herself. As the one who cursed her, Bear is aware of these unusual behaviours not being able to be attributed to the real Nikki and thus manages to accept this behaviour despite the fact that it disgusts him. Like other sexual abusers, Bear has to accept the negative outcomes of his actions if he wishes to keep reaping their benefits to him. ‘Nikki’ is like a child in her relationship to her abuser, like a victim of childhood sexual abuse might still see their abuser as an important relationship that they need to maintain due to an established reliance. Despite Bear torturing her through his wish, the obsession she is forced into makes ‘Nikki’ take extreme actions, including hurting herself and others, to ensure that Bear is always by her side. All of this is part of Nikki’s somnambulism, and we see that when the real Nikki is conscious she is horrified by the actions of ‘Nikki’. The idea of the ‘awake’ Nikki is demonstrated in the film, during a scene in which Bear is trying to leave his house at night while ‘Nikki’ is sleeping. To his shock, the real Nikki is able to come to the surface to beg him to kill her and to not wake the other consciousness so that she can continue to communicate with him. This proves the idea that Nikki would never act as she does when unconscious, however her abuser does not give into her pleading to free her from her somnambulism.
Incontinence is a real effect experienced by victims of sexual abuse, but is not often shown in fictional media about adult victims. Though Obsession does not directly discuss urinary incontinence in victims of sexual abuse, the film displays well the importance of considering what is a conscious versus unconscious action in adults experiencing abuse and trauma. Through comparing Nikki’s ‘possession’ to genuine unconscious periods such as deep sleep, we can discuss Obsession through an analogical lens in order to utilise the film in discussions of sexual abuse.
Footnotes:
[1] Angelique M. Champeau, “Pediatric Urology and Child Sexual Abuse,” in Handbook of Pediatric Urology, (Wolters Kluwer, 2019), https://librarysearch.stir.ac.uk/permalink/44UST_INST/1t33jmq/alma991006366847606861; Theodora A. M. Teunissen et al., “Sex differences in the association between (sexual) abuse and lower urinary tract symptoms,” Neurourology and Urodynamics 43, 5 (2024): 1204, https://doi.org/10.1002/nau.25456.
[2] “Sleepwalking,” Cleveland Clinic, accessed June 3, 2026, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14292-sleepwalking.
Leave a Reply