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Obsession (2025 film)

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(Redirected from Nikki Freeman)

Obsession
At night, a man in a car looks at a small box. In the background, a woman stands in front of the door of a house. At the center of the poster are the film's title, credits, and tagline reading, "Be careful who you wish for...".
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCurry Barker
Written byCurry Barker
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyTaylor Clemons
Edited byCurry Barker
Music byRock Burwell
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 5, 2025 (2025-09-05) (TIFF)
  • May 15, 2026 (2026-05-15) (United States)
Running time
109 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$750,000
Box office$461 million[2][3]

Obsession is a 2025 American supernatural horror film written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker. The film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a music store employee who buys a supernatural toy that grants his wish for his friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette) to fall in love with him, which makes her become obsessed. Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter appear in supporting roles.

A YouTube sketch comedian, Barker uploaded his short horror film The Chair to his channel in 2023. When producer James Harris approached him to adapt it into a feature film, Barker took the opportunity to pitch Obsession, a different film idea of his partly inspired by The Simpsons episode "Treehouse of Horror II". The film was shot in Los Angeles in October 2024 for $750,000. It is Barker's second feature-length film, after Milk & Serial (2024), and first to be released in theaters.

Obsession premiered on September 5, 2025, at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where Focus Features acquired the distribution rights for $14–$15 million, the highest price commanded by a genre film in TIFF history, and Jason Blum came on board as an executive producer under Blumhouse Productions. The film was theatrically released in the United States on May 15, 2026. It was a critical and commercial success, grossing $461 million worldwide and setting multiple box-office records as the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2026 and eighth-highest-grossing horror film of all time, not adjusted for inflation.

Plot

[edit]

Baron "Bear" Bailey has romantic feelings for his friend Nikki Freeman. They work at a music store with friends Ian and Sarah. Bear returns home one night to find his cat, Sandy, dead after consuming oxycodone. Bear visits a crystal shop to buy Nikki a replacement tiger's eye necklace but instead buys a "One Wish Willow", a novelty toy that claims to grant one wish per person when broken. Later, after a group hangout, Nikki asks Bear if he likes her, which he nervously denies. Frustrated, Bear breaks the One Wish Willow, wishing that Nikki loved him more than anyone in the world. Nikki immediately reappears and asks to stay with Bear, saying her estranged father is dying of cancer. In bed, Nikki kisses Bear but abruptly screams and pulls back.

The next morning, she creates a memorial with Sandy's remains, and later explains her erratic behavior was the result of MDMA. After confessing her mutual feelings, they begin happily dating. During a date, Ian calls Bear and reveals that Nikki had told Sarah that she saw Bear as her "little brother" shortly before they began dating and that she lied about her father's cancer. Bear then questions Nikki about her father, and she reacts with sudden defensiveness and anger. That night, Bear awakens to Nikki watching him sleep, and she cries hysterically, accusing him of not loving her.

The next day, Bear sees that Nikki duct taped the door shut in an attempt to keep him home and later discovers the sandwich Nikki prepared for him was made using Sandy's remains. Bear calls One Wish Willow's customer support to alter his wish, and they say the wish will only expire when he dies. They then put a screaming Nikki on the line, causing Bear to hang up in panic. He returns home and discovers that Nikki stood in place all day, waiting for him, and is covered in bodily fluids.

Nikki accompanies Bear to a party against Ian's wishes. During a Jenga drinking game, Nikki recites part of a book she is working on, a morbid and incestuous retelling of "Hansel and Gretel". Bear draws a block, daring him to kiss the person to his left, who is Sarah. Nikki ousts Sarah from her seat and kisses Bear instead, before screaming and bashing herself with a broken bottle. Bear drives Nikki to the hospital, but she refuses treatment, so he brings her back home.

Later, Sarah texts Bear to meet at the park. As Bear attempts to leave, a lucid Nikki speaks, claiming her obsessive personality is asleep, and begs Bear to kill her. He refuses, offended that she would rather die than be with him. At the park, Sarah reveals that Ian and Nikki had been casually hooking up for the past two years and expresses concern that Nikki is using him to get back at Ian. After Sarah hints at her own attraction to Bear, Nikki suddenly smashes the car window and repeatedly slams Sarah's head into a brick, killing her. After moving the body, Nikki tells Bear to go home while she disposes of it.

Bear buys the only remaining One Wish Willows from the shop to reverse his wish but is unable to break one. He explains everything to Ian and begs him to undo his wish. Ian sarcastically wishes for a billion dollars instead, causing cash to rain from the ceiling. Bear returns home with the last One Wish Willow to get Nikki to reverse his wish and discovers Sarah's mutilated corpse. Nikki, dressed like Sarah, then threatens Bear and herself at gunpoint. Ian arrives and is immediately shot dead by Nikki. Bear locks himself in the bathroom and prepares to shoot himself but is unable to go through with it. He instead consumes the remaining oxycodone but changes his mind and tries to induce vomiting, just as Nikki breaks the last One Wish Willow. Under her wish's influence, Bear exits the bathroom and kisses Nikki before dying from the overdose. Heartbroken, Nikki prepares to shoot herself, but Bear's death causes her to regain control of herself before she does so. Horrified by the carnage surrounding her, Nikki wails hysterically.

Cast

[edit]
Left to right: Director Curry Barker with actors Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston at a Q&A for the film in 2026
  • Michael Johnston as Bear, a shy and insecure music store employee
  • Inde Navarrette as Nikki, Bear's co-worker and friend
  • Cooper Tomlinson as Ian, Bear and Nikki's friend and co-worker
  • Megan Lawless as Sarah, Bear and Nikki's friend and co-worker
  • Andy Richter as Carter, the music store boss and Sarah's father
  • Haley Fitzgerald as Viola, a crystal shop employee
  • Darin Toonder as Harry, another crystal shop employee
  • Curry Barker as the voice of the One Wish Willow customer service representative[4]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Curry Barker, one half of the YouTube sketch comedy duo that's a bad idea with Cooper Tomlinson, conceived Obsession as a film about a couple obsessed with one another.[5][6] In July 2023, while gathered with friends to watch an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in which he appeared, he caught a rerun of "Treehouse of Horror II", a 1991 episode of The Simpsons where Homer Simpson interacts with a monkey's paw, which inspired him to incorporate the wish element.[5][7][8][9]

Earlier that year, Barker uploaded his short horror film The Chair to his YouTube channel, which impressed producer James Harris of Tea Shop Productions.[10] Harris reached out to Barker's manager to offer Barker the chance to adapt The Chair into a feature film, an idea Barker had already written a script for.[11][12][13] Barker took the opportunity to pitch Obsession, also sending over a draft, a one-pager, and a look book.[13] The concept led to his signing with William Morris Endeavor and receiving an offer to direct Obsession with a $1 million budget.[10] Around this time, he declined a $2 million offer to rewrite the script to make Bear a hero.[14]

Barker took eight months to complete the screenplay while working at a coffee shop and corresponding with Tea Shop Productions.[12][15] In the meantime, he released his first feature film, Milk & Serial, on YouTube in August 2024.[15] Inspired by Aaron Sorkin's screenwriting MasterClass, Barker decided against expanding Nikki's backstory and the lore of the One Wish Willow by making the latter control the former's behavior.[13][16] Barker developed the design of the One Wish Willow with his mother, a graphic art designer.[11] Producer Haley Nicole Johnson helped Barker with the hiring of crew members.[17] Obsession was bankrolled by Capstone Studios, after Harris shared Barker's script with its founder, Christian Mercuri, who was familiar with Barker's work.[18]

Casting

[edit]

Barker considered casting himself as Bear. In late 2023 or early 2024, the crew shot a screen test for the scene where Bear drops Nikki off at her place and first makes the wish, in which Tomlinson, who had already been cast as Ian, stepped in to play Bear.[9] Casting was underway by August 2024.[15] Barker wrote Nikki as both a threat and a victim and sought an actress capable of playing both a normal young woman and a frightening supernatural presence.[19][20] Amid a long casting process, Mercuri championed Inde Navarrette, who had appeared in three Capstone projects.[18] Navarrette was cast as Nikki after Barker felt she "nailed" a balance between crazy and scary and brought a natural, "bro-y kind of sassy" personality to the role that helped make Nikki believable before the horror elements emerged and made "Bear feel so much like he's in the friend zone".[11][20] After a chemistry read with Navarrette, Michael Johnston was cast as Bear.[11]

Obsession marked Navarrette's second film after Wander Darkly (2020) and television roles on 13 Reasons Why (2020) and Superman & Lois (2021–2024).[21] Much of Nikki's physical behavior was developed through collaboration between Barker and Navarrette, and her screams, facial expressions, and vocal changes were performed without CGI or artificial intelligence.[22] Scenes of Nikki lurking in the dark incorporated practical makeup effects, partly influenced by an uncanny valley makeup trend popularized by TikTok in 2023.[23] Before filming began, Barker had the cast watch Hereditary (2018) and had Navarrette watch Midsommar (2019) and Pearl (2022).[6] Navarrette credited Betty Gabriel in Get Out (2017), Toni Collette in Hereditary, and Mia Goth in Pearl as inspirations for her performance as Nikki.[24][25][26]

Filming

[edit]

To plan shots, minimize camera coverage, and achieve practical in-camera effects, Barker and cinematographer Taylor Clemons previsualized the film by 3D scanning locations and recreating them as digital models.[27] They shot the film "center-composed" with "extra head space" to create shots that felt "uncomfortable".[7] Principal photography began in late October 2024.[15] It was filmed in 26 days, including reshoots after an initial 20-day shoot, in the Los Angeles area, covering five to six script pages daily.[17][22][28] Scenes set in Bear's home, a house in Burbank remodeled by production designer Vivian Gray, were shot in the first week and a half.[7][29] Other locations included the Cassell's Music store in San Fernando, which shut down a year after they wrapped, the Green Man crystal shop and Roguelike Tavern in Burbank, and Little Toni's pizzeria in North Hollywood.[17][30] Scenes involving conversations in cars were shot on a soundstage using LED screen technology.[31]

Obsession underwent reshoots for a new opening scene and, according to Barker, to "do a better job of showing why [Bear] doesn't want to fix it right away", adding the scene where Bear confronts Nikki for cutting his hair to emphasize "that he wants to make it work".[5] The production had to forgo reshoots of the party scene after the house where they filmed it burned down in the 2025 Los Angeles fires.[32] For the ending, they filmed one take of Bear trying to make himself throw up after ingesting the pills at Johnston's suggestion that it would fit Bear's cowardly nature.[22][33] Barker initially wrote and filmed an ending inspired by Romeo and Juliet where Nikki kills herself after breaking free from Bear's wish. On the advice of his father (who contributed the "Hansel and Gretel" monologue), Tomlinson, and others, Barker shot one take of a version where Nikki survives, which he chose for the theatrical cut.[22][9][34][4] According to Barker, the film's budget was at most $750,000.[35]

Post-production

[edit]

By March 2025, Obsession was in post-production with Barker as editor.[11][36] He recorded his dialogue as the One Wish Willow customer service representative on his phone while editing the film from his bedroom, changing lines to fit the edit.[4] After the film's festival premiere in September, the scene depicting Sarah getting her head smashed was cut down by "six or seven smashes" to avoid an NC-17 rating from the Motion Picture Association.[37] Jason Blum joined the film as an executive producer under his Blumhouse Productions banner after the premiere;[38] his involvement was revealed in December 2025 when the first teaser was released.[39] Rock Burwell composed the score in his debut as a feature film composer.[40] The 18-track album was released on May 15, 2026, the same date as the film's release.[41]

Release

[edit]

Theatrical

[edit]

Obsession premiered during the Midnight Madness block at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 5, 2025.[7] Two days later, Focus Features entered talks to acquire distribution rights to the film for the world (excluding France, New Zealand, and Russia) for $14–$15 million, the highest price commanded by a genre film in TIFF history, with Universal Pictures International handling distribution outside the United States;[42][35][43] the deal officially closed in October 2025, with a screening at the inaugural FocusFest on October 18 at the Universal Studios Lot.[44] The film was theatrically released in the U.S. on May 15, 2026.[45]

In June 2026, art director Sally Choi made a social media post calling for industry reform, noting that she made $300 a day on the non-union production while also serving as production assistant, set dresser, graphic designer, and background actor, and that some crew members were volunteers paid in gas and mileage.[46][47]

Home media

[edit]

Obsession was released in premium video on demand format on June 30, 2026; it included behind-the-scenes content and a director's commentary.[48][49] The film had a physical media release on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD on July 14,[49] and a streaming release via Peacock on July 17.[50][51]

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

As of July 31, 2026, Obsession has grossed $262.4 million in the United States and Canada, and $198.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $460.8 million.[2][3]

In the United States and Canada, Obsession debuted with $17.2 million, finishing third at the box office behind holdovers Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2.[52] The film then made $32 million over the subsequent four-day Memorial Day frame, including $24 million over the second weekend (a 39% increase from its opening).[53][54] Unprecedented for a wide release, especially in the horror genre, it marked the biggest second-weekend increase for a film playing in more than 2,500 theaters outside of the Christmas season. Word-of-mouth and turnout from the 18–34 demographic, making up 75% of audience members, led to its success.[55][56]

In its third weekend, the film made $27.4 million, becoming the first wide release outside of the Christmas season since E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) to increase its earnings for three consecutive weekends. With a total $105.7 million at the time, it also became Focus Features' highest-grossing film within Canada and the United States, surpassing Downton Abbey (2019; $97 million).[57][58] On the following Monday, Focus Features postponed its expected digital release of June 2.[59] In its fourth weekend, the film became Focus Features' highest-grossing film of all time worldwide, surpassing Downton Abbey ($194.6 million).[18] It outgrossed The Blair Witch Project (1999; $248.6 million) as the top-grossing festival acquisition title of all time in its fifth weekend,[60] and crossed $300 million worldwide by its sixth.[61] On June 28, it overtook Sinners (2025; $370.3 million) as the highest-grossing live-action English-language original film of the 2020s.[62] On July 6, it surpassed Enter the Dragon (1973; $400 million) as the highest-grossing film with a budget under $1 million, unadjusted for inflation.[63]

Numerous outlets pointed to the film as a cultural phenomenon during the summer of 2026, particularly among Generation Z audiences who drove ticket sales.[64][65] Disney's The Mandalorian and Grogu, a franchise tentpole which released the weekend after Obsession, struggled against the film;[58][66] the latter eventually surpassed the former's overall lifetime gross despite Mandalorian's initial $98 million opening.[67] This, alongside the overperformance of A24's Backrooms—which released around the same time—sparked analysis over a potential renewed interest in original intellectual property from audiences.[68][64][69]

Critical response

[edit]
Navarrette was praised for her performance.[70][71]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 310 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Taking an icky conceit and twisting it to deviously crowd-pleasing ends, Obsession is dauntingly disturbing while also skillfully amusing and thrilling."[72] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[73] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while 70% of those polled by PostTrak said they would "definitely recommend" it.[74]

Christian Zilko of IndieWire said it was "proof that the Cregger-ification of 2020s horror is in full effect, as its combination of sadistic violence, ironic needle drops, and comedy mined from people responding to tragedy in pathetically self-serving ways will merit plenty of comparisons to Barbarian and Weapons".[75] IGN's Matt Donato noted "familiar romance and monkey's paw tropes" but said "Barker's execution takes things to the next level".[76] Lou Thomas of Empire called it "so fresh and exhilarating, one can forgive its familiar origins".[77] In Compact, Matthew Schmitz said it defined the genre of "heteropessimist horror".[78] Author Rob K. Henderson described it as a "morality tale" that encouraged young men to confess their romantic feelings instead of concealing them.[79]

Navarrette received critical acclaim for her performance.[70][80] Louis Peitzman of Vulture called it a stand-out performance for Navarrette, especially as her first major role in the horror genre.[81] Katie Rife of RogerEbert.com said her emotional scenes remind the audience of "the human being trapped inside" a body she no longer controls, making the character more tragic.[82] Guy Lodge of Variety praised Navarrette for "acing one of the more physically and emotionally taxing horror leads to come down the pike in a while".[83] Bill Bria of SlashFilm compared Nikki's impact to performances in 1970s horror films such as The Exorcist and Carrie.[20]

Benjamin Lee of The Guardian praised the "disturbing sound design" for intensifying the horror elements,[84] while Marshall Shaffer of Slant Magazine complimented the film's audiovisual presentation.[80] Comparisons were raised to Kane Parsons's Backrooms, a fellow commercially successful, low-budget 2026 release directed by a YouTuber; Aaron Couch of The Hollywood Reporter said he anticipated a "generational shift" away from high-budget movie franchises in favor of smaller films.[85]

Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe was more critical of the film. He praised Navarrette's "fearless performance" and complimented Barker for knowing "how to get a communal reaction with his jump scares and savage gore", but criticized the story, writing it "tries to say something about female autonomy and male selfishness, yet ... plays like an overlong, 108-minute riff on the old reliable stand-up routine subject 'girlfriends be crazy'".[86] Others critiqued the film's handling of its ideas,[87][88] Nikki's characterization,[82][89] and a reliance on "genre clichés".[90]

Accolades

[edit]
Award / Festival Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Toronto International Film Festival September 14, 2025 People's Choice Award, Midnight Madness Obsession Runner-up [91]
Sitges Film Festival October 18, 2025 Best Feature Film Obsession Nominated [92][93]
Official Fantastic Selection in Competition - Special Jury Prize Won[b] [93][94]
SOFC Audience Award Won [94]
Carnet Jove (Youth Card) Award for Best Film Won [94]
South by Southwest March 19, 2026 Festival Favorite Audience Award Obsession Nominated [95][96]
Miami Film Festival April 19, 2026 Jordan Ressler First Feature Award Obsession Nominated [97][98]
Seattle International Film Festival May 17, 2026 Golden Space Needle Awards — Best Performance Inde Navarrette Won [99]
Seattle Film Critics Society Feature Film Award Curry Barker Won [100]
Astra Midseason Movie Awards June 30, 2026 Best Picture Obsession Nominated [101]
Best Horror Won
Best Director Curry Barker Runner-up
Best Screenplay Runner-up
Best Actress Inde Navarrette Won
Critics' Choice Super Awards August 6, 2026 Best Horror Movie Obsession Pending [102]
Best Actor in a Horror Movie Michael Johnston Pending
Best Villain in a Movie Pending
Best Actress in a Horror Movie Inde Navarrette Pending
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards October 25, 2026 Best Wide Release Obsession Pending [103]
Best Director Curry Barker Pending
Best Screenplay Pending
Best Lead Performance Inde Navarrette Pending

Future

[edit]

In 2025, Barker said the characters of Obsession are unlikely to appear in another film.[7] In 2026, Barker said he was considering an anthology television series where each episode explores a new character making a wish,[104] or a sequel, for which he has an idea.[14] His next film, Anything but Ghosts, is set in the same shared universe, including a reference to the events of Obsession in the form of a news report.[105]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ excluding France (Le Pacte), New Zealand and Australia (Rialto Distribution), and Russia (Exponenta Film)
  2. ↑ Tied with The Furious

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Obsession (2026)". Irish Film Classification Office. March 25, 2026. Archived from the original on April 20, 2026. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Obsession". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Obsession". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Kleinman, Jake (May 16, 2026). "Obsession director Curry Barker used makeup, duct tape, and his father to make the scariest movie of 2026". Polygon. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Jones, Tamera; Nemiroff, Perri (May 15, 2026). "'Obsession's Terrifying Twist Isn't Possession — It's Something Much Darker". Collider. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Thorn, Lana (May 12, 2026). "'YouTube Taught Me That a Modern Horror Audience is Actually Very Smart': Curry Barker on His Indie Horror Phenomenon Obsession". Phantasmag. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Earl, William (September 5, 2025). "After His Microbudget Debut Haunted 2 Million People on YouTube, Curry Barker Brings 'Crazy Horror' to TIFF With Twisted Love Story 'Obsession'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 5, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  8. ↑ Holaday, Carsen (May 26, 2026). "Obsession director reveals unlikely inspiration from The Simpsons episode". The Independent. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 Davids, Brian (June 23, 2026). "Obsession Star Cooper Tomlinson Pulls Back the Curtain on the Cinematic Phenomenon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Couch, Aaron (October 28, 2024). "Want to Be a Horror Director? Upload Your Movie to YouTube". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 8, 2026. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Saito, Stephen (September 6, 2025). "TIFF 2025 Interview: Curry Barker on Crushing It in 'Obsession'". The Moveable Fest. Archived from the original on October 11, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Rosa, Christopher (May 21, 2026). "The Director of Obsession Wrote the Film's Script While Working at a Coffee Shop". NBC. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 "Obsession: Curry Barker on Crafting Horror's Newest Creepy Nightmare". Creative Screenwriting. May 14, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Hibberd, James (June 15, 2026). "Curry Barker Got His Wish: Inside the Obsession Director's Wild Month (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Earl, William (August 26, 2024). "How 'Milk & Serial,' a Clever Slasher Made for $800 and Released for Free on YouTube, Became a Must-Watch for Horror Fans". Variety. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  16. ↑ Cregger, Zach (May 18, 2026). "Curry Barker and Zach Cregger Swap Horror Stories". Interview. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 Thompson, Simon (May 18, 2026). "Curry Barker's Obsession or The Indie Horror That Turned L.A. Into a Nightmare Playground". Motion Picture Association. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  18. 1 2 3 D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 7, 2026). "Obsessed Around The Globe: Curry Barker's Obsession Is Focus Features' Highest Grossing Movie Ever With $224M+ WW". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  19. ↑ Carter, Andrea (May 20, 2026). "The Real Villain of Obsession is Not Nikki". Couch Soup. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 Bria, Bill (May 15, 2026). "How Obsession Found The Perfect Actress For Nikki [Exclusive]". /Film. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  21. ↑ Lammers, Tim (May 22, 2026). "Obsession Star Inde Navarrette Discusses Her Spellbinding Performance In Hit Horror Thriller". Forbes. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Carson, Lexi (May 16, 2026). "Inside 'Obsession's' Ending: Inde Navarrette on Nikki's Fate and Becoming Horror's Newest Scream Queen". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  23. ↑ H. C., Luiz (May 22, 2026). "Freaky Nikki's Terrifying Look in 'Obsession' Was a Practical Effect Inspired By a TikTok Trend". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  24. ↑ Korngut, Josh (May 15, 2026). "'Obsession' Star Inde Navarrette on How Toni Collette's Hereditary Performance 'Inspired' Her 'A Lot' [Exclusive]". Dread Central. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  25. ↑ Svetz, Josh (June 5, 2026). "How 'Obsession' Star Inde Navarrette Went From Twitch Streamer to Scream Queen". GQ. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  26. ↑ Alter, Ethan (June 12, 2026). "Inde Navarrette shares 'Obsession' Oscar dreams, freaky on-set stories, and what happens to Nikki after the credits roll [Exclusive]". Gold Derby. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  27. ↑ Musnicky, Sarah (September 12, 2025). "TIFF 2025: Curry Barker Directs The Camera At Us In Obsession". But Why Tho?. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  28. ↑ Focus Features UK [@focusfeaturesuk]; (May 14, 2026). "We are officially ready to be obsessed with Obsession". Retrieved May 17, 2026 – via Instagram.
  29. ↑ @westcoastcreativestudio; (May 31, 2026). "OBSESSION MOVIE SPOILER ALERT". Retrieved June 13, 2026 – via Instagram.
  30. ↑ Gardner, Chris (June 18, 2026). "The Obsession Effect: Horror Flick Has Fans Stalking Two L.A. Businesses". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  31. ↑ Elias, Debbie (September 2, 2025). "Curry Barker Gets Practical with Horror in Obsession – Exclusive Interview". Behind the Lens Online. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  32. ↑ "'I Was Genuinely Freaked Out' Curry Barker, Inde Navarrette & Michael Johnston on Obsession". Fandango Media. May 15, 2026. Archived from the original on May 16, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026 – via YouTube.
  33. ↑ Carson, Lexi (May 18, 2026). "Obsession Star Michael Johnston Knows You Think Bear Is the Real Villain — But He Disagrees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  34. ↑ Miller, Mike (May 16, 2026). "Obsession director Curry Barker reveals film's original ending — and why his dad told him to change it". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  35. 1 2 Barasch, Alex (May 11, 2026). "The Twenty-Six-Year-Old Behind Obsession, a Terrifying Tale of a Crush Gone Awry". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026. He made Obsession for 'seven hundred and fifty thousand, max,' and earlier projects for far, far less.
  36. ↑ Couch, Aaron (March 10, 2025). "'Milk & Serial' Filmmaker Curry Barker Signs with UTA (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  37. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (March 15, 2026). "'Obsession' Director Curry Barker At SXSW". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 15, 2026. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  38. ↑ Loving, Casey (May 15, 2026). "How Obsession Filmmaker Curry Barker Became Hollywood's Next Horror Sweetheart". TheWrap. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  39. ↑ Grobar, Matt (December 2, 2025). "Blumhouse Boards Curry Barker's Romance-Themed Focus Horror Flick 'Obsession' — Watch The Trailer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Obsession". Waxwork Records. Archived from the original on May 16, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  41. ↑ "'Obsession' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on May 14, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  42. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 7, 2025). "Focus Features Closing First Big TIFF Deal: Curry Barker Horror Film 'Obsession' Selling For $15M+ – The Dish". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  43. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (May 17, 2026). "Box Office: 'Michael' Returns to No. 1 in Fourth Weekend, 'Obsession' Starts Strong With $16 Million". Variety. Archived from the original on May 17, 2026. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  44. ↑ Grobar, Matt (October 14, 2025). "Focus Features Seals Deal For Curry Barker's 'Obsession,' Sets FocusFest Screening". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 16, 2025. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  45. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 5, 2025). "Focus Features Sets Early Summer 2026 Date For Curry Barker's Horror Pic 'Obsession'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 5, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  46. ↑ Gonzalez, Umberto (June 5, 2026). "Obsession Art Director Calls for Industry Reform After Getting Paid Less Than $7,000 as Film Nears $175 Million". TheWrap. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  47. ↑ Phillipson, Daisy (June 9, 2026). "Obsession art director doubles down after slamming low pay and working conditions". Film Shrine. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  48. ↑ Lammers, Tim. "Obsession Streaming Date Nears As Film Crosses $334 Million At Box Office". Forbes. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  49. 1 2 Tingley, Anna (July 1, 2026). "'Obsession' Releases on Digital: How to Watch the Breakout Horror Film Online". Variety. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  50. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 10, 2026). "'Obsession' Sets Mid-July Streaming Date On Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 10, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  51. ↑ Minton, Matt (July 10, 2026). "'Obsession' Sets Peacock Streaming Release Date". Variety. Archived from the original on July 10, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  52. ↑ "Domestic 2026 Weekend 20". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  53. ↑ "Domestic 2026 Weekend 21". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  54. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 26, 2026). "Star Wars: Mandalorian & Grogu Eases Force To 4-Day $98M U.S. But Higher WW $167M; Obsession Amorous $32M+ In Near $222M Memorial Day Weekend – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  55. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (May 24, 2026). "How Obsession Became an Unprecedented Box Office Horror Hit — and One of the Year's Most Profitable Movies". Variety. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  56. ↑ McClintock, Camp; Carson, Lexi (May 27, 2026). "Box Office Stunner: Obsession Makes History With Biggest Second-Weekend Spike in Modern Times Outside of Christmas". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  57. ↑ "Domestic 2026 Weekend 22". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  58. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 31, 2026). "Backrooms Mushrooms To $81M+ U.S., $118M WW A24 Record Opening; Obsession $104M+ Best Ever For Focus Features – Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  59. ↑ Lammers, Tim (June 2, 2026). "When Is Obsession Coming To Streaming?". Forbes. Retrieved June 6, 2026.
  60. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 14, 2026). "Obsession: World's Love Affair With Curry Barker Pic Nears $300M; Scares Away Blair Witch Project As Top Grossing Fest Acquisition Of All-Time – Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  61. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 19, 2026). "Obsession Bewitches $300M+ WW; Mando & Baby Yoda Get Lost Stateside In The Backrooms – Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  62. ↑ Klein, Brennan (June 29, 2026). "Sinners' Huge Box Office Record Beaten By Obsession, Which Cost Less Than 1% Of Its Budget". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on June 30, 2026. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  63. ↑ Fuster, Jeremy (July 6, 2026). "Obsession Passes $400 Million Worldwide, Becomes Highest Grossing Film With Budget Below $1 Million". TheWrap. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  64. 1 2 Hassenger, Jesse (June 12, 2026). "Obsessed with Obsession: how a low-budget horror changed the game in Hollywood". The Guardian. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  65. ↑ Stefansky, Emma (June 5, 2026). "'Obsession' Takes Gen Z's Social Anxiety to the Extreme". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  66. ↑ Tassi, Paul. "'Obsession' Has Dethroned 'The Mandalorian And Grogu' At The Box Office". Forbes. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  67. ↑ Agar, Chris (June 11, 2026). "$750k Horror Movie Obsession Just Passed The Mandalorian & Grogu at the Box Office". ComicBook.com. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  68. ↑ Guerrasio, Jason. "A $1 million horror movie and a YouTube hit just humbled 'Star Wars' at the box office". Business Insider. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  69. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca; Lang, Brent (July 15, 2026). "The Box Office Bounces Back: Gen Z, Surprise Hits and More Have Hollywood Banking on a $10 Billion Year". Variety. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  70. 1 2 Clarke, Grace (May 27, 2026). "Who is Inde Navarrette? Meet Hollywood's Newest Scream Queen". L'Officiel USA. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
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  72. ↑ "Obsession". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  73. ↑ "Obsession". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  74. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 17, 2026). "'Michael' King Of Box Office With $26M U.S., $83M WW; 'Obsession' Romances $16M+ & 'A-' CinemaScore – Sunday AM Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  75. ↑ Zilko, Christian (September 6, 2025). "'Obsession' Review: YouTuber Curry Barker Directs One of the Best Horror Films of 2025". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  76. ↑ Donato, Matt (September 28, 2025). "Obsession Review". IGN. Archived from the original on September 28, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  77. ↑ Thomas, Lou (May 15, 2026). "Obsession Review". Empire. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  78. ↑ Schmitz, Matthew (June 1, 2026). "Heteropessimist Horror". Compact. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  79. ↑ Henderson, Rob (June 2, 2026). "Why every young man should fear Obsession's message". The Times. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
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  82. 1 2 Rife, Katie (May 15, 2026). "Obsession: The heart wants what it wants in Blumhouse chiller". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
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  84. ↑ Lee, Benjamin (September 6, 2025). "Obsession review – nasty horror sees a wish for true love go horribly wrong". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 6, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  85. ↑ Taher, Sarah (June 4, 2026). "YouTube already had a place in Hollywood. The success of Backrooms and Obsession proves it's undeniable". CBC News. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  86. ↑ Henderson, Odie (May 14, 2026). "Curry Barker's 'Obsession' has big ideas, but can't quite land them". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on May 14, 2026. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
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  88. ↑ Cullen, Sarah (June 16, 2026). "Is Obsession Really About Nice Guys?". HeadStuff. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
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  92. ↑ "We Complete the 2025 line-up: Guillermo del Toro, Yorgos Lanthimos, Park Chan-wook, Carmen Maura, and Other Big Names in Contemporary Fantastic Genre". Sitges Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 14, 2025. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  93. 1 2 "Palmarés de Sitges 2025". Findela Historia (in Catalan). Archived from the original on May 23, 2026. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  94. 1 2 3 "'The Ugly Stepsister', by Emilie Blichfeldt, Best Feature Film Award at Sitges 2025". Sitges Film Festival. October 18, 2025. Archived from the original on October 23, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
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  97. ↑ Carey, Matthew (March 14, 2026). "Miami Film Festival Announces 2026 Lineup, Awards For Adam Scott, Bob Odenkirk, Danielle Brooks, Lili Reinhart & More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 16, 2026. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
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  104. ↑ Garner, Glenn (May 16, 2026). "Curry Barker Considers Obsession Sequel Or Anthology Series, Despite 'Plot Hole' In Film: 'It's Broken'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  105. ↑ Garner, Glenn (May 28, 2026). "Curry Barker Says 'Anything But Ghosts' Is In 'Obsession' Universe". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
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