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August 2, 2026

How Obsession used optical illusion makeup to create pure nightmare fuel



Curry Barker’s Obsession took the box office by storm, becoming the highest-grossing film made under $1 million. But with such a humble budget, the team behind the terrifying horror had to get creative to get under audiences’ skin.

That’s where this ingenious makeup hack came in. Using carefully placed shadows and highlights, the makeup team created an optical illusion look that truly terrified viewers. Forget fancy SFX or prosthetics, sometimes less is more when it comes to upping the uncanny creep factor.

Makeup Artist Katie Oja took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Nikki’s terrifying face. Clarifying that she used “highlight and shadow only. No prosthetics,” Katie’s ingenious optical illusion makeup focuses on enhancing Nikki’s eyes and mouth, enlarging and elongating them to make her features appear subtly unnerving and non-human.

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“So simple but it triggered my fight or flight,” one commenter wrote. “Who needs CGI when you’ve got creativity and skill,” another added. “Insane use of practical FX and makeup in this film!” another praised.

Obsession | Official Trailer – YouTube

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For more optical illusions, take a look at this Kylie Jenner billboard that’s been perplexing Londoners or check out this optical illusion makeup that will break your brain.

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