In just two weeks, Obsession has gone from a well-reviewed horror film expected to do decent business to a bona fide sensation that has become part of box-office history. The Curry Barker-directed film about a wish gone horribly wrong already impressed when it opened above expectations during weekend one to $17.2 million, but signs of something much bigger happening here began to take shape after the first week was over.
The $750,000 release became the number one movie Monday ($2.9 million), Tuesday ($3.6 million), Wednesday ($3.2 million), and Thursday ($3.3 million), and its daily grosses either saw remarkable increases or the slightest of decreases. Industry experts believed that the movie would match or slightly exceed its opening weekend over the Memorial Day holiday, butObsession was set to shock everyone once again, and now it’s becoming more apparent that there are lessons to be learned from what has already become an unprecedented box office run.
At 2,655 locations in North America, Obsession grossed $23.9 million during its second weekend, representing an unheard-of 39 percent increase for a wide release this century and especially an anomaly for a film in the horror genre. While horror is a genre with a rabid fanbase, the second weekend declines tend to be steep either because of the rush factor to see the film opening weekend or because the movie was subpar or awful.
Neither has been the case with Obsession, as it has become the watercooler movie of the moment, which has already made it one of the year’s most profitable films with a running total so far of $60.7 million domestic and $75 million worldwide. Even with Backrooms expected to dominate this weekend with another impressive opening for horror (and a potential record for A24), Obsession will likely continue to play well as it has gained interest from moviegoers not typically interested in the horror genre.
Obsession Benefitted From A Buzz-Worthy Film Festival Debut
Obsession isn’t the first horror movie to gain traction from a festival run, and it shouldn’t be the last. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2025, as a part of the festival’s Midnight Madness section and immediately generated buzz. Two days after its premiere, Focus Features began exclusive talks to obtain the distribution rights, excluding France, New Zealand, and Russia, while Universal Pictures would handle distribution outside of the United States.
The deal closed for $14-15 million, the highest ever commanded for a genre movie in the history of the festival, and another screening was held in October at FocusFest on the Universal Studios Lot to officially welcome the film as a part of their future release slate. In addition to making waves for how much Focus Features picked it up for, reviews were already solid with the film registering in the high 90 percent range before its wide release.
While festivals can appear to represent a section of viewers that may not correlate with casual moviegoers, they can still create a groundswell of interest that a film wouldn’t have without them, especially for an independent release without huge studio backing. In most cases, there are months between a festival premiere and a wide release, which allows for a lot of word-of-mouth marketing within the industry that ultimately transitions out of the festival market and out to the masses. The fact that Obsession maintained its great reviews leading up to release (currently at 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) showed those interested that the film may not just be a festival darling but something that could have a wider appeal.
Focus Features Showed Confidence By Releasing The Film Wide
Focus Features, an independent production company, made the wise choice of not platforming Obsession’s release, which is common for indie fare to build interest, and just went wide with the film when it opened on May 15. This was a smart move because it avoided the film looking like an elevated prestige horror film that could alienate some of the audience and showed the confidence that they had in the title.
The May premiere window essentially makes it a summer release, and that is something afforded to films that studios believe will benefit from the typically robust time of year to debut movies. While some believe a fall release like October or an early in the year drop in January is ideal for the horror genre, summer has also proven to be an ideal time because the young target audience has more time on their hands with school wrapping up and Obsession is already proving the younger demo is responding to it 75 percent of the audience being between the ages of 18 and 25 years old.
The eventual involvement of Blumhouse Productions, alongside James Wan’s Atomic Monster banner as executive producers and backers, likely helped with the decision to give the micro-budgeted horror film a wide release because they’re used to going wide with their horror movies, which typically sees a nice windfall at the box office. Blumhouse may have jumped onto the project following its debut at TIFF, meaning they weren’t involved in the film’s production, but their role in Obsession is essential because they pushed the film into a wide theatrical market alongside the indie sensibilties of Focus Features and sperheaded a clever marketing campaign that was vague enough to not give everything away but also intriguing enough to make moviegoers curious about what Obsession had to offer.
Obsession Had A Clever Marketing Campagin
Focus Features wisely didn’t release full-blown trailers that gave away much of the film’s plot. The first teaser trailer was essentially the scene of Bear (Michael Johnston) calling the “One Wish Willow” customer service line to alter or cancel the wish that has made his longtime crush Nikki (Inde Navarrette) fall in love with him in ways that feel more supernatural than natural. Everything about the teaser was ominous, hinting at the danger this seemingly innocent wish has created, and represented another example of less being more.
Indie studios such as Neon, A24, and Focus Features have set a new standard for horror movie marketing that has made some of their promotional campaigns just as scary as the films themselves. While major studios continue to produce looks at their films that make you feel as if you’ve already seen the whole movie, indie studios are giving moviegoers just enough to make them want more.
Focus Features employed other clever marketing techniques that engaged audiences, especially the younger demo, who were more likely to respond to less traditional promotional campaigns. They produced a commercial to buy “One Wish Willows,” which is the novelty toy at the center of all the horror, and it sold out within hours, showing that the audience was aware of the film’s arrival. Also, instead of producing just one piece of key art to promote the film, Focus Features went vague with some of their cryptic billboards that hinted at Nikki’s obsessive nature.
The billboards appeared predominantly throughout Los Angeles and New York, some of the biggest moviegoing markets, with a blood-red backdrop and the film’s title in big, bold black letters. Then, in another stroke of genius, some of the billboards featured a phone number for Nikki that would involve them in her increasingly unsettling communications. Making the audience feel like they’re a part of the film’s story is a powerful form of marketing that really hit a fever pitch when 1999’s The Blair Witch Project was released and became an indie hororr box office sensation.
It’s Important To Bank On Young Talent
Not to be ignored is the film’s creator himself. Barker cultivated a loyal following on YouTube through various shorts and skits, who were willing to follow him on his journey to the big screen. Studios are always looking for more organic ways to market films, with many of them suggesting (even pushing) bigger stars to build a social media following, should they not have one, to build interest on those platforms. With Barker’s YouTube following, much of that was already in place, and Obsession appeared to Barker’s fanbase by still having his indie sensibilities but on a bigger scale. YouTubers are becoming a new breed of filmmakers who show that there isn’t just one way to make films or make your mark in the industry. We’re about to see this again this weekend with the release of Kane Parsons’ Backrooms, another horror release with a digital creator at its center.
Beyond the marketing, young talent being discovered on these platforms are hungry and creative in a way that feels different and fresh. There has been some pushback against filmmakers emerging this way, as if film school is the only way to break out in the industry, and it’s a pushback that really should cease. Digital creators have an efficiency for filmmaking that respects various aspects of the process. Since they’re used to working with very little money, they have utilized techniques that are cost-effective and prove you don’t need grand set pieces or over-the-top special effects to make a film work. Sometimes it’s the simplicity of the storytelling and a strong natural eye for directing that make for the best projects.
Focus Features and Blumhouse Productions are banking on Barker again for his next feature, Anything but Ghosts, proving that they saw something in Barker and his creative team during Obsession’s production and pre-release run that he was going to be a new and unique voice in horror. While this isn’t always the case, younger filmmakers, who didn’t break into the industry by traditional means, don’t seem as jaded by the pratfalls that can come along with making films. It’s a new direction that will lead to even more young talent blessing the industry with fresh and original ideas, something the industry is in dire need of.
Give Audiences And Critics A Movie To Talk About
What has driven Obsession’s success beyond the YouTube and horror fanbase is that it has become THE film to talk about. Horror has always been a source of great social commentary, and Obsession is no different. Through its narrative, it has generated discussions about relevant topics, especially regarding male and female dynamics in relationships that has made it the water-cooler movie of the moment.
For the most part, the discussions surrounding the movie have been remarkably positive, and some of these topics don’t typically result in conversations that always lead to communal respect. Obsession tackles the concept of consent and the loss of free will and personal autonomy that is handled with respect. Barker never loses sight of Nikki being the victim in all of this, while Bear’s wish and his choice after it’s made, represent a selfish desire that is merely disguised as love. It’s all wrapped up in a fun horror movie package, but the audience and critics have taken notice of the film’s deeper meanings, and it has made it more than a horror movie made to entertain, but one that actually has something to say.
Another much talked about aspect of the film is the performance of Navarrette, which has built up so much buzz that just about everyone believes she is worthy of award attention. It has become more than an all-time horror movie performance. This is a turn that has generated so much interest that it has become clear that the former Superman & Lois actress is a true star in the making.
She’s given a performance that just about everyone has said needs to be seen to be believed, and that has become a marketing tool in its own right. All of these things have made Obsession a rare film that critics and audiences have been united on. The film’s Rotten Tomatoes score of 95 percent is near identical to its 94 percent audience score and its “A-” CinemaScore on top of an impressive 8.2/10 user rating on IMDB shows that, for the most part, Obsession has hit a nerve that has turned into universal acclaim.
Obsession Feels Like A Film That Needs To Be Seen In Theaters
Lastly, Obsession has turned into a communal experience that needs to be seen with an audience in a packed theater. There are many moments in Obsession that lead to collective gasps, laughs (some uncomfortable), and shrieks that become more enjoyable because of the theatrical experience. For a horror film made under a million dollars to do this is impressive in the sense that movies with much bigger budgets are typically the ones that become events. Obsession has become one in its own right without presence of even one superhero.
This is why Focus Features will hopefully let this one run in theaters as long as they can before releasing the film on digital. They typically have a 17-day window, which means Obsession would release for home viewing next week on June 2, should they follow their normal digital release pattern. Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, has said that the digital release and when it should happen are still being discussed, and let’s hope, given Obsession’s historic run after only two weeks, they allow this one to breathe longer in theaters so even more people can become obsessed with Obsession on the big screen.
Obsession is now playing in theaters nationwide.
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