‘Obsession’ Star Inde Navarrette’s ‘Hear Me Out’ List Just Broke the Internet

Hollywood’s newest breakout star has never been one to play it safe. Inde Navarrette arrived on the cultural radar earlier this year with a genuinely stunning performance in the supernatural horror film ‘Obsession’, a micro-budget film from first-time feature director Curry Barker that became one of the most talked-about movies of the year.

The film, shot in Los Angeles for $750,000, follows Bear, a music store employee whose wish for his friend Nikki to fall in love with him through a supernatural toy results in horrifying consequences, with Navarrette playing Nikki, a character written as both a threat and a victim.

The performance turned into a genuine cultural phenomenon. ‘Obsession’ earned a CinemaScore grade of A-minus, a rare distinction for a horror film, and went on to gross more than $148 million at the global box office against its sub-million-dollar budget. Navarrette has spoken about how much she connected with the role, saying that when she read the script, “I’ve never resonated with a story more, and I’ve never understood exactly how to play a character,” telling Gold Derby she thought her first audition was the worst she had ever done before getting a callback.

With all that acclaim swirling around her, Navarrette sat down with Complex’s Jillian Superstar for a segment that ended up going wildly viral. The actress was asked to reveal her “Hear me out” list, the internet tradition of naming fictional or unconventional characters one would theoretically pursue romantically. Her answer, delivered with the kind of deadpan confidence that has made her a fan favorite, was peak chaotic: number one is Optimus Prime. Shrek made the list with the justification that he is “super tall and protective,” and Mufasa rounded out the trio.

The clip exploded across social media almost immediately, with fans losing their composure over the specificity of the list and the utterly unbothered energy Navarrette brought to each pick. The Shrek explanation in particular has become the most quoted moment, with many pointing out that the reasoning is, actually, pretty airtight.

What makes the moment land is that it fits completely with the persona Navarrette has cultivated since ‘Obsession’ made her famous. Before her rise in Hollywood, Navarrette regularly streamed video games online, building a following on Twitch playing titles including Outlast, Fortnite, and ‘The Last of Us’. In an interview with GQ, she recalled that her gaming roots ran deep, saying she and her older brother started on the PS2, playing Shrek games in Big Head mode with their mom. The fact that Shrek made her “Hear me out” list is either a coincidence or deeply, beautifully on-brand.

The Complex appearance also saw Navarrette discuss her rise to fame, her gaming life, and the audition she thought she had completely bombed before it handed her the biggest role of her career. The interview covered her life as a gamer girl streamer, her dream directors, Oscar goals, and featured the reveal of her “Hear me out” list. It is exactly the kind of unfiltered media moment that turns breakout stars into genuine cultural figures.

Navarrette has acknowledged the fan-driven Oscar campaign already circling her name, calling it “everybody’s dream” while adding that the love audiences have shown for the character of Nikki is what matters most to her. Considering that horror has been on a historic winning streak at awards ceremonies recently, it is not entirely far-fetched. But for now, the internet is a little more focused on debating whether Optimus Prime or Shrek deserves the number one spot.

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