It may not be as great as Vertigo, the film it is so obviously inspired by, but it's certainly worth a look in my opinion. I mean it has de Palma's typical stylish filmmaking, beautifully shot by Vilmos Zsigmond, and of course a Hitchcockian vibe throughout that is further enforced by one of Bernard Herrmann's best scores. What more could you ask for? Sure the plot is a bit implausible but who the hell cares?

Hitchcock Jr.

A woman who could be mistaken for a dead one. A Bernard Herrmann score. A notable church. A notable painting. Ah, but also a locked room dedicated to the dead wife... For the first time viewer, Obsession plays on whether it's based on Vertigo or Rebecca. Either way, you have two of Hollywood's biggest perverts - Brian De Palma and Paul Schrader - working on the script, so it's got a perverse solution. I know they had trouble working with Cliff Robertson on this picture, but he's fine as the beatifically amazed widower. Geneviève Bujold is the real star anyway, with a complex character whose motivations shift several times during the telling. Early work from John Lithgow has him camp up a Southern accent, but he's a fun presence (though unfortunately, real male friendships are rare in movies so we can't trust him). Obsession is a little slow to turn into a thriller and it's really too bad they opted for an abbreviated ending that works no better than the one they decided not to make (for length). Unless De Palma wanted us to leave with an icky feeling (which may well be), then I guess it's perfect.