r/moviecritic • u/Spirited_Alfalfa_343 • 7h ago
Why do you think Navarette has gotten so much awards buzz for Obsession but Ejiofor has gotten none for Backrooms?
I know Clark has some limited screen time but Ejiofor absolutely steals every scene he’s in. His two separate monologues with Reinsve are just as good as anything Navarette did in Obsession. As I said earlier, is it the lack of screen time for Ejiofor?
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u/hunterzolomon1993 7h ago
We all know he's a great actor while Inde was a "nobody" whose most famous role was a GF of Superman's son in Superman & Lois. She came out of no where and gave one hell of a star making performance and made everyone ask "who is this girl?".
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u/jokerhound80 7h ago
This is the entire correct answer. There's nothing else really to it. Its the same reason people make a huge deal about sports stars stats in their rookie seasons and gloss over more experienced players having better years.
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u/Ancient_Okra_1575 7h ago
Her role was more demanding. He was the fish-out-of-water reacting to the strange events in the world. She had to BECOME the strange thing in the world. Her arch in the her film had more dynamic range
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u/funnyfirerabbit 3h ago
She also had to snap in and out of her ‘possessed’ character, which I thought she did seamlessly.
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u/Ryan_Fleming 7h ago
I liked both, but the hook in Backrooms was the setting -- the hook in Obsession was Navarette's performance.
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u/CJnella91 7h ago
Both their performances were amazing but Chiwetel Ejiofor is already an established actor whereas Navarette basically came out of no where with a veteran performance. That's just my opinion though.
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u/FourAntigone 7h ago
Yeah, that's a huge thing most people are missing. We all know Ejiofor is a great actor already. Navarette came out of left field and completely blew everyone away
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u/Glad_Position3592 6h ago
They were both great, but the acting required for Navarette’s character was insane and she absolutely killed it. I don’t think just any actor could do that
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u/Neurod1vergentBab3 7h ago
I think it’s just because the entire movie hinged on Navarette’s performance. Not saying that the director and other actors didn’t contribute but if she didn’t play the role as great as she did, it wouldn’t have worked at all.
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u/stealingjoy 7h ago
He's been around forever and is already regarded as a good actor. She was basically an unknown before.
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u/ZaphodG 7h ago
Chiwetel Ejiofor has been around forever and was in some very well known movies. He won an Oscar for 12 Years a Slave. He married Keira Knightley in Love Actually. He was Vincent Kapoor in The Martian. He was in Denzel’s American Gangster. He’s a famous actor. Everyone already knows who he is.
I didn’t know Inde Navarrette. She’s done some television work I’ve never seen and a few obscure movies. I looked her up as I was watching Obsession because she was clearly the best actor. She gets buzz because she’s relatively unknown and talented. Obsession was remarkable because it was an indie that came out of nowhere.
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u/Yeezuswalks66 6h ago
He deserves an Oscar at some point for sure. Can't believe he didn't win for 12 years a slave tbh.
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u/DarkFriend81 6h ago
He’s a great actor. Elevates every film that he’s in. So good as the villain in Serenity.
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u/quigongingerbreadman 7h ago
Obsession was a far better movie.
Backrooms was good, but obsession was better in nearly every way. Narratively, character development, script, and acting.
Again, backrooms was good, obsession was just better.
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u/Left_Supermarket_646 5h ago
She also put on a triple A performance. Her range and control of her change in emotion was next level.
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u/Lala5789880 7h ago
They also did so much more with a much smaller budget. It was almost all the acting and character development
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u/Over-Think-It 7h ago
I’ll say it. I didn’t really “get” Backrooms
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u/quigongingerbreadman 7h ago
It was more lovecraftian than anything. A realm/dimensional horror film where the horror is coming from some outside, unexplainable or incomprehensible threats.
It is like the narrative difference between the video game Alan Wake 2 and Resident Evil 2. The fact that the threat is beyond comprehension and is ultimately unknowable is part of the creepiness.
Where obsession follow more of like a Djinn monster, which grants wishes in nefarious ways.
So I appreciate them both, personally, but obsession is a bit easier to wrap one's head around than backrooms is since it deals with things we're used to deciphering, the whole movie could be summed up as "be careful what you wish for". Backrooms is more about the consequences of messing with unknowable dangers beyond human comprehension.
That's my take anyways. And my way of saying "ya, I could see what you're saying"
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u/broncyobo 6h ago
Backrooms is more about the consequences of messing with unknowable dangers beyond human comprehension.
I agree that describes the horror element, but regarding the point the movie makes (in the sense that Obsession's point is "be careful what you wish for") I'd say it's along the lines of "some people would rather live in an endless cycle of repeating the same toxic behaviors, content in the isolation this leads to, than positively change who they are"
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u/rayio 7h ago
I thought backrooms was better. Obsession was so easy to guess what was going to happen next, and didn't really have any surprises. The acting was great, that's why it was successful, I don't think a different actress would have been able to do such a good job, so I understand the award hype. Backrooms was very original and was unpredictable, the set was really well done, and it made the movie look really cool imo. I thought that Ejiofor did a great job, but not necessarily an Oscar performance. These are all just opinions, nobody is right or wrong on what movie they liked more.
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u/Substantial-Sea-3672 5h ago
I’m really surprised how common a theme here is that being “unexpected” makes a movie better?
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u/Rare-Acanthisitta706 4h ago
Furthermore, to say that obsession is predictable is baffling to me. Yeah if you'd seen remotely any promo material for the movie, you would know that she would be a psycho gf. But the praise the movie is getting is from the fact that it wasn't just a "psycho gf" movie. You wouldn't expect her to be jailed in her body losing her autonomy. You wouldn't expect Bear to be so "ok" with it, making him more of an antagonist. And I for one certainly didn't expect any of the cat stuff.. Yes, some moments like the car scene you were waiting for exactly how the scene plays out.. but that's exactly what created the suspense. Usually horror movies use darkness, sound, or creepy visuals to scare you. This scene was a regular ass flirty conversation, only using context to create the scariness.
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u/Cold_Bison7065 2h ago
”You wouldn't expect her to be jailed in her body losing her autonomy.”
Absolutely this, you nailed it. There are a lot of men who watched Obsession and completely missed the real horror of it. So for them, it was just an obvious movie.
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u/4rm5r4c3r 5h ago
Honestly a lot of the "expected" parts had such amazing timing. Like the car-face-brick scene was obviously coming but they tortured us with anticipation, then made it 5x more greusome than expected.
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u/threedogdad 6h ago
I like both a lot but agree. Obsession is what you expect going in, Backrooms I'm still thinking about months later.
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u/maywellbe 3h ago
Funny because I stopped thinking about backrooms before it ended when I realized there was no explanation, it was just a vibe.
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u/Extension_Coconut254 4h ago
Backrooms was more interesting, but I can’t imagine Obsession being as good without Navarette’s acting. Backrooms is more of a conceptual film than an acting film
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u/PCho222 6h ago
Saw both the same week with friends, I was excited for Backrooms and one friend wanted us to also see Obsession which I had no interest in, but holy shit was it the better movie. The performances, the stress and anticipation and even the score. Went together perfectly.
Backrooms I was actually embarrassed because my group hated it and I didn't really enjoy it much either.
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u/Illegal_Tender 7h ago
Man I feel the complete opposite
Different strokes, I guess
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u/DrFaustPhD 7h ago
Me too. I liked obsession, it was well made, but it was exactly what I expected, beat for beat.
Backrooms felt fresh, creative, and I thought the metaphors and narrative tied together in a really tight way.
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u/SolidSnake-26 6h ago
100% agree here. I felt like I knew what was coming around every turn in obsession. Predictable. Whereas backrooms was a constant mystery.
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u/LMandragoran 7h ago
To me it just felt like backrooms left too much on the table. I much rather would have seen his descent into madness rather than his therapist coming in and finding him like that.
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u/watch_out_4_snakes 7h ago
The madness isn’t the great acting it’s the part showing the man stuck and not able to move past trauma. It’s the quickness to anger and blaming everyone else for his failures.
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u/Aromatic_Mall_8214 5h ago
I think Obsession really got carried by Inde, her preformance really made the movie what it was. In the end it's just a new spin on a Monkeys Paw. I think Backrooms had so much more elements going for it so Ejiofor's acting doesn't stand out as much.
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u/No_Map7606 7h ago
mostly because a lot of backrooms was left upon interpretation and made in a very niche-kinda way unlike obsession.
its like if backrooms is an open package, obsession is in a box with a couple holes.
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u/Illegal_Tender 7h ago
Yeah that's what I like about it
Sometimes I enjoy having to sit with something or interpret it through my own lens rather than feeling like I'm being spoon fed a message
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u/ThisIsTheNewSleeve 6h ago
No I agree with you, Backrooms was much better to me.
I liked Obsession, but it felt like I was watching a youtube horror short. Writing wise it was pretty weak. The dialogue in the first half hour was very hand-holdy and obvious.
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u/AnimalDrum54 4h ago
Obsession was a little easier to digest. It was the nice steakhouse burger compared to the juicy filet mignon of Backrooms.
I found myself savoring and chewing on backrooms for a long time.
I watched Obsession and moved on.
I hear a lot of people say they felt like Backrooms didn't have a good ending. I think that's part of the appeal. The whole allure of the backrooms is the mystery it would be a shame to spoon feed the answers to the viewer and remove all that mystery.
And then we have a willow branch.
Edit: To answer the original question, many people want a loca latina gf.
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u/ImpossibleSherbet722 7h ago
This is a super valid opinion. What loses me on reddit (totally not you at all please don't take it as sucH) is how many people can't grasp their opinion being in the minority might mean it gets less attention.
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u/Cb6cl26wbgeIC62FlJr 7h ago
Backrooms ending was unsatisfying to me.
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u/Dire_Hulk 7h ago
He really did a great job in Backrooms. Every emotion his character expressed seemed genuine and was extremely convincing.
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u/Illegal_Tender 7h ago
He's honestly great in pretty much everything
Everyone should go watch Red Belt
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u/Blaskowits 7h ago
I loved him in Dirty Pretty Things. He seems so mature that it's hard to believe he was only 25 at the time.
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u/Pirlo84 7h ago
Victor Sweet in 4 brothers still one of my all time favourite villans.
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u/AndrewHNPX 7h ago
It wasn’t as flashy a role.
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u/TheLesBaxter 7h ago
That's the truth. He did fantastic. But I swear she did so well, that I almost feel like the movie was written around her ability to act like that.
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u/thedabaratheon 7h ago
I think because he’s a well known and respected Actor whereas she was a total unknown. Also she’s really attractive so there’s been so much buzz about the hot new actress on the scene.
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u/rhino1123 7h ago
Chiwetel Ejiofor is great in everything he is in. For example go watch Serenity and then report back.
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u/condormcninja 7h ago
He was good in the role but the reason The Backrooms was good has way less to do with him than it does the directing and set design.
Meanwhile Inde is Obsession and the word-of-mouth around that movie revolved almost entirely around her performance.
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u/Posidon_Below 7h ago
Obsession was more focused on the character where Backrooms was more focused on the environment.
Clark was fine but he wasn’t the “monster” like Navarette was.
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u/Scary_Ferret2118 7h ago
His character goes through a major change, and for some strange reason, the writers decided that should happen off screen. So, the script didn't give him much to work with Imo.
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u/NaturalOk2156 2h ago
sorry just to double check that I'm understanding this correctly, your question is why one actor in one movie is getting more awards buzz than a different actor in a different movie?
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u/DiscoAcid 7h ago
Because Navarette's performance was one of the biggest standouts in film this year? I thought this was obvious.
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u/PuzzleheadedEssay198 7h ago
One had better memes and more screen time, not to mention she’s a complete unknown, while Chiwetel has been a known commodity for more than twenty years. Dude got nominated for a fucking Oscar after 12 years a slave, and in Serenity he stole every scene he’s in.
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u/CaptServo 7h ago
He got a ton of great press for Redbelt, when he was a breakthrough actor. He was a well known quantity by the time Backrooms came out
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u/No_While6150 7h ago
I mean people already answered the question with the movie reception. Backrooms would be hard pressed to get any awards buzz based on reception alone.
But also, if you want pure acting? Did you watch both movies? Navarette was brilliant! and she was brilliant as a first time lead in a breakout role. And her range was electric. I'm not surprised at all by her awards buzz. The awards are of course self pandering Hollywood back slapping which is self absorbed and gross. but they exist so let's keep going
Ejiofor was great AS HIS ROLE ALLOWED. Not many people could bring that much rawness to a fairly restrained persona. His outbursts were believable. But then an invisible moment happens and suddenly he's mad. I don't think the backrooms did a good job in the slightest of portraying that decent into madness. Very much like The Shining. He's upset then his mind is broken. Also, purely as a side by side exercise, I don't think there are any, but I'll say many, that would compare these 2. One was an inspired psychotic break that defied rationale (as directed by the events of the movie) and the other was a slightly beaten individual who just flops hard into insanity.
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u/get_to_ele 6h ago
Ejiofor’s role was written a bit one note and he’s been better in a lot of other stuff.
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u/Winter-Cow-6208 6h ago
Very much like The Shining.
Bro… what? Shining absolutely shows a progression of a narcissistic, abusive dry drunk descending into murderous insanity.
It doesn’t “just happen” in the film.
Is it the same as a sane, normal character descending into madness? No, but that wasn’t the point of the character.
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u/MycopathicTendencies 7h ago
It’s because awards aren’t relevant and the amount of buzz shouldn’t be used as a standard for anything.
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u/Snoo9648 7h ago
The dude did a great job but that character wasnt the focus of backrooms. Nikki was for obsession.
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u/BruhTheShark 7h ago
I could see 100 different actors filling his role, I can't imagine anyone but Navarette playing Nikki.
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u/The_Wise_Guy12 7h ago
Because the set was the main character of backrooms, where as Indie was for obsession. Imo
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u/Lord_Byron_8008 6h ago
He was fine. Good in a pretty average movie. She was great. Really stood out in a fantastic movie.
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u/RetroPilky 54m ago
I think Backrooms wasn’t carried by an actor, it was the setting that pulled everybody into it (though I agree, Ejiofor was incredible).
Obsession was absolutely carried by her performance. That entire movie doesn’t work without it
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u/CK122334 7h ago
Aside from enjoying Obsession overall as a film a lot more as others have mentioned, I found Ejiofor’s performance a little try-hard and like his performance was the only thing trying to prop up a rather bland film and thin plot. Navarette was the perfect compliment/cherry on top to a rather simple but interesting film. She heightened while Ejiofor carried or attempted to carry the film.
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u/aesir23 7h ago
I think it's because Ejiofor is an established actor with a 20-year career and an Oscar nomination (for 12 Years a Slave). It's not newsworthy when he puts in a great performance.
Meanwhile, Navarette feels like she came out of nowhere. She's been in a few things, but basically nobody knew her name a year ago. Her excellent performance feels like a discovery.
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u/Halo05977 7h ago
Well, I as much as I enjoyed backrooms and Ejiofors performance, Navarette took it to another level (and was a complete unknown at the time as well).
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u/Such-Row-2913 7h ago
He did an excellent job with what he was given, no surprise, but what was written for him is not on the same level as Inde/Nikki.
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u/snarkisms 7h ago
I think it's also that Navarrette had an insane character and she kept it at 11. Clark is a very nuanced but not always high energy character.
Also Navarrette is new and Ejiofor is established. So it's fun to gush over new talent
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u/Even-Translator-335 7h ago
Backrooms was good but her performance in Obsession was streets ahead of Ejifor's in Backrooms.
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u/caste_iron_mike 7h ago
He is great in the movie and a great actor, but her performance was star making. It's like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, or Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name to name a few. You don't see these happen that often and when they do, they are memorable and generate a ton of award hype.
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u/TheForswornKing94 7h ago
Idk, I think they both did great. But the people online are so god damn obsessed with the Obsession movie. To cringe levels of over analyzing it like it’s god damn citizen Kane or something. It’s a good movie and it’s incredible Curry Barker made it for that budget and made it that good for a first time movie. But damn everyone online thinks they have the deepest understanding of this movie and the discourse over it is incredibly cringe. Just look at the whole Alex Myers situation.
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u/derppman 7h ago
Wait, wait, wait... you mean to tell me that the look Nikki gave Bear at 1hr23min and 42seconds didn't imply that Mossad agents were involved in the 9/11 conspiracy?
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u/pooooolooop 5h ago
Yep. The obsession glazers are out of control. They’re here in the comments saying “Obsession is better than Backrooms in every way,” lol fuck off
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u/e_xotics 3h ago
the movie is incredibly corny and it follows is a way better movie that deals with almost the same ideas
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u/Banestoothbrush 7h ago
He's been in hollywood for over 20 years. Inde was a relative unknown. Did a child write this?
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u/Richmond43 7h ago
Seriously. We’ve seen him give outstanding performances going back thirty years. He’s been great in roles as diverse as Amistad, Inside Man, Children of Men, 12 Years a Slave, The Martian, and now Backrooms.
Someone asking why another good performance by a known excellent actor is getting less attention than an utter unknown carrying the biggest surprise hit of the year… lol
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u/Ok_Function2282 7h ago
He was just a dude in a weird movie, she literally made this movie what it is
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u/TygerHil98 7h ago
He's a phenomenal actor with a spectacular career. He's what made the movie for me but I can understand why Navarette gets more buzz. She's also phenomenal.
He just stole the show for me, I could watch his monologues on repeat and he's the reason I just spent $60 getting the 4K shipped across the globe for me to keep physically.
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u/Haunting-Ad788 7h ago
Ejiofor is a phenomenal actor but I don’t think Backrooms really showcased that at all.
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u/Raving_Lunatic69 7h ago
Probably an unpopular opinion, but Back Rooms isn't all that. I liked it and enjoyed it, but there isn't much in the way of story and acting performances aren't really what drives it. The surreal nature of it does, the technical aspects of it does. And those are great and worthy of consideration.
Obssession is a much better movie overall, much more story and performance driven. I think it's a little overhyped as well, but it certainly deserves the attention.
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u/wasbai1235 7h ago
Because her performance was better and more memorable lol. And cause obsession is the better and more memorable film (imo but that seems to be the common opinion)
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u/whoisdatmaskedman 7h ago
Ejiofor is already a great actor and people expect the level he brings, plus Obsession received a lot more media attention in generational since it was made by a YouTuber on a relatively small budget and made buckets of money.
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u/I-love-seahorses 7h ago
Ejolfer is an A lister. Obsession is filled with unknowns.
It's as simple as that.
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u/Mac1avish 7h ago
I haven't watched Backrooms yet so Idk how good it is but obsession was a 9/10 movie, like it genuinely made me uncomfortable at a point.
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u/RabidSkwerl 7h ago
I LOVE Ejiofor and liked Backrooms better than Obsession but his performance wasn’t Oscar worthy and hers ABSOLUTELY was
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u/B-Train_ATL 7h ago
I haven’t seen Backrooms, but holy shit Navarette was fantastic. Some of the subtle face and body movements were insanely good.
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u/claytrizzle 7h ago
Backrooms is good but the advertising had everyone thinking it was going to be a nail biting thriller. I liked it for being a slow burn of a depressed man at the end of his rope. You get to watch him unravel and then the poor therapist has to deal with a physical embodiment of all his problems in the end.
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u/Strange_Panic_7327 6h ago
It's the role. Clark's an empty shell of a role that Ejiofor does yeoman's work to make any kinda interesting. Nikki gave Navarette a hell of a lot more character to chew on and range to explore. Nikki's a perfect role for Navarette to showcase her talent. Clark is like the least interesting Ejiofor character I can think of.
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u/trescientostres 7h ago
There's no comparison. The story in Backrooms is just filler; it goes nowhere, it's empty and there's nothing worth salvaging beyond a couple of found-footage scenes and the color grading... So what you're trying to compare makes no sense for me.
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u/Eastern_Carrot7538 6h ago
La historia de obsession fue increíblemente simple pero efectiva
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u/ser_darkstar 7h ago
Everyone who's seen him in a film already knows Chiwetel Ejiofor is incredibly talented. That being said while Backrooms was a cool premise with wonderful visuals, it was nowhere as well done as Obsession imo. It had a lot of pacing issues and I don't think took enough time to let Clark's character breathe before killing him off. Him discovering the Backrooms, taking Bobby and Kat back, Bobby dying, and then him suddenly being insane when Mary turned up and Kat dying off screen in quick succession was my biggest gripe with the movie.
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u/PhasedVenturer 6h ago
Because people only pay attention to the showiest performances, and Navarette’s is as showy as it gets
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u/JudgeHoIden 5h ago
Hard disagree on Ejiofor stealing every scene he was in. I actually found his performance quite mid(compared to his usual performances). Comparing these two performances is kind of a self-report.
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u/Southernbeekeeper 4h ago
Yeah, I would also say Backrooms was a worse movie in general. Obsession is smarter and better made as well as better acted in my opinion and I'm not saying this as some sort of super fan. I'm a random guy in my 30s who just happened to have seen both movies with 0 expectations.
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u/AdorableDemand46 4h ago
This was my feeling as well. The whole climax scene at the table seemed over done and his foil wasn't the best to work off of either. They both just seemed flat then forced when they had any emotive moments
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u/Kavazou77 7h ago
I think Backrooms was solid but didn’t live up to the hype of Obsession.
IMO I think people were waiting for more of a supernatural or conspiracy thriller but the actual answers were underwhelming. It doesn’t pack the punch of a Weapons or Obsession.
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u/Lucifer-Prime 7h ago
This is so obnoxious. why do we have to make this a competition between her and every other fucking actor?
The reason that movie got so much attraction was in part due to the fact that it was such a low budget in the film.
That’s all it comes out to. Overall, the production is more impressive because of the fact that it was largely unknown or small time Actors on a very limited budget.
That’s also why Napoleon dynamite was so successful.
If it was a big budget movie and she was already a big name, she wouldn’t have gotten so much praise. We wouldn’t be having these stupid conversations.
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u/ArticleNew3737 7h ago
It’s simple. Her performance was much more showy which has a broader appeal. Chiwetel’s performance in backrooms was very subtle in comparison to what Inde did in Obsession.
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u/Electronic-Field8154 7h ago
Backrooms wasn’t as well received as a whole movie. The movie that an actor is in makes a big difference
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u/BIayneRobinson 7h ago
"why is the pretty young woman getting more attention than the middle aged man?"
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u/UrRightAndIAmWong 7h ago
More like "Why do the actors in the better movies get more attention"
This isn't a women vs men thing, Ejiofor has gotten award recognition in the past. Inde was in the better movie and was a major driver as to why it was better. The driving force as to why it was so good.
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u/ChipotleGuacamole 7h ago
I haven't seen Backrooms yet, but I'm glad a horror is getting some recognition. Obsession was a fantastic movie.
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u/Ok-Respond-8599 7h ago
I saw obsession and it was amazing. I know the backroom actor and il looks like hes already decently big
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u/wombatIsAngry 7h ago
Honestly I think you nailed it. I already knew Ejiofor; he's great; I was a little surprised he was slumming it in Backrooms (until I saw how good Backrooms was). The fact that he was really good in it didn't surprise me.
Whereas I hadn't seen Navarrette before; for me, she came out of nowhere and carried a whole movie with just her face. I think the surprise value was important in how differently they've been treated.
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u/cornyhornblower 7h ago
It’s really simple, her performance was better than his and I’ve been a fan of his since serenity, he’s incredible but it was not his strongest performance in a not very strong movie. Inde Navarettes performance was much much better in a much better movie.
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u/Hyxenflay7737_4565 7h ago
Navarette's not as famous as Eijofor. Nobody knew her name until Obsession. This was her big break.
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u/smdihateu 7h ago
Because this isn’t his best performance, he’s an already amazing actor who already has prestigious awards. She’s brand new
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u/Think_Reporter_8179 7h ago
Ejiofor is a phenomenal actor and deserves more praise. I think the fact that he was in a horror likely brought it down, they're just not as respected as dramas. That said, I hope he continues acting as well as he does because he is genuinely a great great actor.
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u/LetoSecondOfHisName 7h ago
Cause one was a much better movie and performance
Ejiofor is criminallyn underrated and underutilized though
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u/Capital_Respect_4994 7h ago
He’s already an established actor and if this is your first time seeing him, then maybe expand a little bit on what you’re watching.
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u/Dry-Performance7006 7h ago
Inde is a Newcomer. Obsession has better reviews.
Also; it is not like Clark is a million miles away. I think he did show up at the critics choice super awards and maybe there are like mid season Astra awards? He has been relevant in a few places.
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u/Belialxyn 7h ago
Back rooms was all about the mystery and the atmosphere and the back rooms themselves. Obsession was writing entirely on the actresses skill.
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u/unseenserene 7h ago
Recency bias in full effect. Chiwetel has been in the game longer and has a lot of great films under his belt.
Children of Men, American Gangster, 12 Years A Slave, Venom the Last Dance, Salt, Doctor Strange films, The Old Guard films, Maleficent sequel….. Just to name a few.
It will be interesting to see what kind of roles Inde will land after X-Men
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u/SparseGhostC2C 6h ago
Inde is new to the scene, Chiwetel is a known and lauded actor already, doesn't he have a frickin Oscar? Inde would blow up because for a lot of people she came out of nowhere.
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u/Round-Ask-7642 5h ago
He was the best part of that movie. Great actor. Obsession was just a better film. Indie just absolutely crushed her role in a better film. Entirely my opinion though.
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u/Epstein_Files 5h ago
The slow burn of Backrooms is fantastic, but it falls apart once he goes full Jack Torrence.
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u/Ganglere 4h ago
Inde is the hot new thing, it's exciting to see a super talented young actor come out of "nowhere".
Ejiofor has been a critically acclaimed actor for two decades, everyone knows he's good, not surprising he put on a great performance.
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u/North_Knowledge7467 3h ago
Because he's a well-established dramatic actor and she's a breakout star.
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u/Aurelius5150 3h ago
I don’t think he gave a stand out performance. Felt like a lot of other actors could have stepped into that role and the film would be the same.
I feel like Navarette owned her role. She became one of the main reasons to watch. After seeing it, all I could think about was her performance.
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u/BlendedFetusOG 55m ago
Why are people fawning over the young, attractive, new actress moreso than the older, established, black actor? Uh. She's young. She's attractive. She's a woman. Lol.
Obsession was the better movie, sure, but in a world where them swapping roles makes sense, she is still the people's favorite.
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u/ToneBalone25 7h ago
Because Navarrette's performance was more demanding and central to the film's premise. Ejiofor didn't have to do a whole lot and was solid but that wasn't a super memorable role
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u/Ganda1fderBlaue 7h ago
Obsession is a better movie (in my opinion)
her performance was incredible but also very... intense
she's super hot
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u/cowgunjeans 7h ago
Because Inde is new, a newbie that scared the SHITTTT out of you. Ejiofor did great but nothing out of the ordinary for an actor of that calibre. Comparison to his older roles are the thief of joy maybe.
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u/Justryan95 7h ago
Backrooms wasn't that great of a movie and Ejiofor already has bigger roles. Inde is basically an unknown actress besides some CW TV shows and she gave a knock out performance with Obsession
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u/Easteuroblondie 6h ago
I think obsession showed a lot more range. Not just fear but lots of absolutely unhinged extremes of many emotions. Fear, love, excitement, sadness, and not just like a scene. Like the most acute extreme version of those emotions
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u/genre_syntax 7h ago
I think Ejiofor is an already known and respected actor. Navarette basically came out of nowhere and is therefore much more interesting in the moment. Plus, Obsession has the better box office and production history.
Basically, Ejiofor lived up to his reputation with BACKROOMS. Navarette created her reputation with Obsession.
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u/ConsciousReason7709 7h ago
He gave a great performance, but Obsession is just an objectively much better movie.
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u/Strict-Farmer904 7h ago
Cause she was better in Obsession than he was in Backrooms. Like, that’s not a criticism of Ejiofor at all but she had more to do and did more with it. I think a lot of that is the script; We got more and clearer insight into her character’s motivations so then Inde’s choices as an actor really resonated with the audience. She had so much to do. It was an actor’s dream of a script combined with an actor who was hungry as fuck and ready to go for it. Backrooms is decent and Ejiofor is a brilliant actor but he just didn’t have much going on in the script. Like…he had plenty of story beats and background, just in terms of interactions. I think it was Mamet (whom I hate but if it was him he was right about this) who said that there really is no character unless there are opportunities for decisions. A character has to be presented with a fork in the road and their choices are who the character actually is, not their backstory, not their affectations. Their moral or emotional responses to stimuli. Obsession’s characters are just way clearer in that way and I think that makes for a more exciting performance from an actor vs Backrooms.
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u/AdamOfIzalith 7h ago edited 7h ago
Chiwetel Ejiofor is an established actor getting accolades as normal. Navarette is a much newer actress and if you haven't seen superman and Lois, is functionally a brand new actor on the scene