Why Nikki From Obsession Looks So Familiar

Horror has been having a pretty successful year so far, which only makes the arrival of "Obsession" that much more exciting. After making his $800 found footage horror feature debut available for free on YouTube, director Curry Barker is about to hit the summer like a freight train with his demented take on "The Monkey's Paw." One of its most exciting aspects is actor Inde Navarrette's powerhouse performance, which is destined to be talked about all year long. 

Here she plays Nikki, a spirited music store employee who is close to her childhood friend/co-worker Bear (Michael Johnston). Lacking the courage to ask her up front, Bear invokes a love spell on a One Wish Willow. The mysterious trinket works almost immediately, with Nikki fawning over him to a frightening degree. Navarrette contorts her voice and body into such horrifying ways, you would think she's been a pro for a while.

As it turns out, the 25-year-old peformer has largely starred in small projects, with some supporting TV roles. One of her first roles was in the 2019 Snapchat Original comedy series "Denton's Death Date," which follows a high school junior in a world where he only has a week before he dies. The following year, Navarrette made her debut on the 4th season of "13 Reasons Why," followed by her ongoing role in "Superman & Lois."

By the time "13 Reasons Why" made it to Season 4, the series had long deviated from the source material within Jay Asher's 2007 novel of the same name. It instead became an outlandish soap opera following the ensemble of Liberty High making their way to graduation, albeit with the mistakes of the past bearing down on them. 

Inde Navarrette joined the final season of "13 Reasons Why" in a supporting role as Estela de la Cruz, otherwise known as the sister of Monty de la Cruz (Timothy Granaderos), who died in Season 3. Her presence at school is not nearly as explosive as her brother, and Estela is able to make quick friends with Jessica Davis (Alisha Boe) by joining the activist group "Hands Off Our Bodies."

Navarrette doesn't get a lot to do considering she's dropping into a final season with multiple ongoing storylines, but she gets some moments to shine. One of her more interesting developments comes near the end of Season 4 when Estela forms a surprise romance with Tyler Down (Devin Druid), the classmate Monty sexually assaulted at the end of Season 2. Estela and Tyler make peace with their pasts and eventually go to the prom together. When it comes to every horrible event that's taken place at Liberty High, it's a minor miracle that these two find happiness in the end.

Following a small part in the 2020 drama "Wander Darkly," Inde Navarrette went on to land one of her biggest roles as Sarah Cortez in The CW superhero series "Superman & Lois." While her part was greatly diminished in the fourth and final season due tobudget cuts, Navarrette proved valuable.

Sarah is a teenager who lives in Smallville with her dysfunctional parents Lana Lang (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and Kyle Cushing (Erik Valdez). She develops an on-again, off-again relationship with Jordan Kent (Alex Garfin), the son of Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) and Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin). It's not until later that Sarah learns and accepts Jordan's superpowers, which he uses to moonlight as Superboy. But for as much involvement as she has with the Kents, she also gets to explore her own storylines.

Sarah changes her last name from Cushing to Cortez after learning that her father changed his maiden name out of fear when he moved to a rural community. She also becomes more open about her queerness following a summer camp fling with Aubrey (Djouliet Amara). "Superman & Lois" subverts the mental health arc by having Sarah grow after realizing she needs to confront her dark feelings, which Navarrette spoke about in an exclusive interview with Looper. After the series ended, Navarrette booked a role in the 2025 crime-action movie "Trap House" starring Dave Bautista and Jack Champion. And after "Obsession" comes out, she's sure to be booked for years to come.