‘Obsession’ Becomes This Summer’s Breakout Box Office Hit
Key takeaways
- The One Wish Willow then popped up in influencer and fan videos on Instagram and TikTok, which Jason Cassidy, vice chairman of Focus Features, told FastCompany “created a lot of social momentum” for the film.
- “What’s so great about Curry (Barker) is he’s so native to his digital world and he knows his voice and his community, and we absolutely wanted to tap into that,” Cassidy said.
- The wish is granted, but Nikki (Navarrette) develops an obsession with Bear that becomes increasingly extreme, and clearly against her will.
Topline. A low-budget horror flick starring relative unknowns has become the surprise hit of the summer with an impressive $28.2 million gross in its second weekend, a 30% increase from one week ago, capitalizing on the popularity of its online creator’s past work, a viral marketing gimmick and possibly a younger generation’s cynical feelings about romance.
Curry Barker, Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston attend the Los Angeles Special Screening of Focus Features' "Obsession" on May 11, 2026.WireImageKey Facts“Obsession,” made on a budget between $750,000 and $1 million by 26-year-old Curry Barker, has capitalized on word of mouth success and a buzzy performance from breakout star Inde Navarrette to achieve what industry publications are calling "virtually unprecedented.”
The film earned $17.2 million from 2,615 theatres its opening weekend—well above projections of $10 million to $12 million—and then saw a rare second-weekend boost thanks to overwhelmingly positive praise, online buzz and an immersive guerrilla marketing campaign that made it the only wide release horror film of the century to earn more in its second weekend.