'Obsession' becomes a $400 million horror hit

The low-cost horror film Obsession has grossed over $400 million worldwide, cementing its status as one of the year’s most unexpected box office hits and proving that micro-budget cinema can still achieve massive commercial success.

To date, the film has brought in a staggering $403 million globally. This impressive total consists of $245.3 million from North American theaters and $157.7 million from international markets. Its monumental success is all the more remarkable considering it was produced for a reported budget of under $750,000 by YouTube filmmaker Curry Barker, who both wrote and directed the project.

The film stars Inde Navarrette, Michael Johnston, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter. The narrative centers on Johnston’s character, Bear, whose desperate desire for Nikki (played by Navarrette) to love him more than anyone else ultimately leads to fatal consequences.

After Obsession premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Focus Features acquired the distribution rights for approximately $15 million. It debuted in North American theaters on May 15, pulling in $17.1 million across 3,016 locations during its opening weekend. Since then, the movie has shattered internal records to become the highest-grossing release in the history of Focus Features.

The theatrical juggernaut is also performing exceptionally well on digital platforms following its premium video-on-demand (PVOD) release. Even while competing with its own at-home availability, Obsession still managed to bring in an additional $5.3 million from 2,640 North American theaters over the weekend.