How Does 'The Obsession' End?

The ending of 'The Obsession' is a rollercoaster of emotions and suspense. After a tense chase through the woods, the protagonist finally confronts the stalker in a burnt-out cabin. The stalker, who's been manipulating events from the shadows, reveals a twisted backstory involving childhood trauma. A brutal fight ensues, ending with the stalker falling through the rotten floorboards into the basement. The protagonist thinks it's over, but in the final pages, there's a chilling reveal—the stalker left a hidden message in the protagonist's home, suggesting the obsession might not be over. The last scene shows the protagonist staring at their reflection, questioning if they're being watched.

Let me break down the ending of 'The Obsession' in detail because it's layered with symbolism. The climax occurs during a violent thunderstorm, with the protagonist Naomi trapped in her childhood home. Her brother Mason, who's been secretly aiding the stalker out of misplaced guilt, has a last-minute change of heart. He sacrifices himself to give Naomi time to escape, which adds a tragic twist to the resolution. The stalker, revealed to be a former family friend seeking revenge for perceived betrayals, gets crushed under collapsing debris.

What makes the ending memorable is the aftermath. Naomi moves to start a new life but keeps experiencing déjà vu, hinting at psychological scars. The author leaves subtle clues that Naomi might be developing her own obsessive tendencies, mirroring her tormentor. The final paragraph describes her compulsively rearranging furniture in her new apartment, unable to escape the patterns of control. This ambiguity elevates the story from a simple thriller to a commentary on the cycle of trauma.

For those who enjoyed this, I'd recommend 'The Silent Patient' for another psychological twist, or 'Sharp Objects' if you prefer darker family dynamics. Both explore similar themes of inherited pain and unreliable narrators.

As someone who analyzes thriller tropes, I appreciate how 'The Obsession' subverts expectations. Instead of a clean victory, the ending forces the protagonist to compromise her morals. She plants evidence to frame the stalker's death as self-defense, knowing the truth would ruin her family. The final confrontation isn't physical—it's a verbal showdown where the stalker exposes how Naomi's father created this monster through neglect.

The last chapter jumps forward five years. Naomi has become a recluse, paranoid about shadows. Her once vibrant personality is now muted, showing the lasting damage. The genius touch is the epilogue from the stalker's perspective in the past, revealing they knew Naomi would win... but also that they trained a successor. This lingering threat makes the resolution feel unsettlingly incomplete. If you like endings that haunt you, try 'Gone Girl' or 'The Kind Worth Killing'—both master the art of ambiguous closure.