Inde Navarrette to Receive Rising Star Award at Palm Springs

Inde Navarrette, the breakout star of Focus Features' horror hit "Obsession," will receive the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards, Variety has learned exclusively.

The honor lands mid-campaign for a film that has already rewritten records. "Obsession" holds a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide — the largest haul ever for a Focus Features release. It recently picked up a Gotham Award nomination, and critics have consistently singled out Navarrette's emotionally charged performance, which has placed her firmly in the Oscar race for best actress.

Navarrette joins a growing list of Palm Springs honorees that already includes Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, who share the Vanguard Award for "The Invite."

Why does this award matter for the Oscar race?

Palm Springs is a critical stop on the Oscar campaign trail, and the Rising Star Award has a strong track record as an Oscar bellwether. Past recipients include:

• Ariana Grande, "Wicked"
• Timothée Chalamet, "Call Me by Your Name"
• Alicia Vikander, "The Danish Girl"
• Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
• Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
• Scarlett Johansson, "Lost in Translation"

Grande, Chalamet, Vikander, Lawrence and Kendrick all went on to Academy Award nominations for those performances, and Vikander won the supporting actress statuette.

Horror has historically struggled to break through with Academy voters, but the genre has made a more inclusive turn in recent years with "The Substance," "Sinners" and "Weapons." A Palm Springs honor for Navarrette would extend that shift into the lead-actress conversation.

What is 'Obsession' — and who is Nikki Freeman?

Curry Barker wrote, edited and directed the indie thriller. It follows Bear, a hopeless romantic who breaks the mysterious One Wish Willow to win over his crush, only to discover that getting exactly what he wants comes at a sinister price. Navarrette plays Nikki Freeman opposite Michael Johnston, Megan Lawless, Cooper Tomlinson and Andy Richter.

"Inde Navarrette delivers a performance in 'Obsession' that is impossible to look away from," festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said in a statement. "She brings a rare combination of emotional awareness and cinematic presence to the screen. The Rising Star Award exists to celebrate exactly this kind of breakthrough talent, and we could not be more excited to welcome Inde to Palm Springs."

Navarrette first broke out in the fourth and final season of Netflix's teen drama "13 Reasons Why," then landed a series regular role on The CW's superhero drama "Superman & Lois." She made her Sundance debut in 2020 opposite Sienna Miller and Diego Luna in "Wander Darkly."

What does this change for her career?

The award gives Navarrette a high-profile platform just as her slate expands. She is set to take on the iconic role of Rogue in Marvel's upcoming "X-Men" film and will star in and executive produce "The Waffle House Index," a sci-fi thriller from Apple Original Films and Plan B Entertainment. A Palm Springs trophy — and the Oscar momentum it often signals — would position her as a lead-actress contender in a genre the Academy has long overlooked.