Obsession Surpasses $400 Million at Global Box Office

The indie horror breakout “Obsession” has reached a massive box office milestone, surpassing $403 million in total global ticket sales.

After two months in theaters, the film has earned $245 million domestically and $157 million internationally, cementing its status as a wildly profitable venture for Focus Features.

Directed by YouTuber Curry Barker, the twisted romantic fantasy was produced for just $7,50,000. Focus Features later acquired the film for $14 million at last year’s Toronto Film Festival.

Unlike most films that taper off after eight weeks, “Obsession” remained a significant draw over the July 4th holiday, pulling in $5.3 million in North America and $12 million overseas.

The thriller’s performance has stunned industry analysts. After an encouraging $17 million North American opening in May, the film saw four consecutive weekends that actually exceeded its debut figures.

It is approaching the $250 million domestic threshold, a rare feat in the post-pandemic era.

Enthusiastic Gen Z audiences and positive word-of-mouth have driven the film’s success. The story follows a hopeless romantic named Bear (Michael Johnston) who enters a Faustian bargain to win over his crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette).

Alongside A24’s “Backrooms” - another YouTube-originated horror hit directed by Kane Parsons that has earned $347 million - the success of “Obsession” proves that the TikTok generation is eager to visit the big screen.

Jason Blum, who produced both films through Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, highlighted this shift in an interview with Variety.

He said, “There’s a new generation of moviegoers who are declaring a very specific taste for horror movies that is quite left-of-center. There’s a lot of concern about theatrical, and this is a real new growth area.”