During a late night conversation with an industry senior I was irrevocably told that is not worth the watch. The caller emphatically pointed out that the film, which hit theatres on June 12, was an American film, by an American and for Americans, offering nothing new. I, who had been patiently waiting to watch it at the first chance, was crestfallen – understandably so, but I possessed an ace up my sleeve – I quickly asked “Have you watched Obsession?” An hour-long conversation followed. Every once in a while, a film arrives that becomes bigger than the marketing campaign behind it, or the stars associated with it. Sometimes it even becomes bigger than the genre assigned to it. And in 2026, perhaps that film is .
That Curry Barker’s became an overnight success is surprising enough. The film does not boast of any A-list stars, instead shouldering the narrative are Michael Johnson’s Bear and Inde Navarrette’s Nikki Freeman. The film was made on a tiny budget and lacks the franchise recognition that usually powers modern blockbusters. Yet despite everything that may appear disadvantageous, Obsession has become one of the most talked-about films of the year, generating conversations across social media platforms, college campuses and theatres across the globe.
That Curry Barker’s Obsession became an overnight success is surprising enough
More importantly, it has achieved something increasingly rare in contemporary cinema: it has become a cultural phenomenon driven almost entirely by word-of-mouth. Globally, the film has earned nearly $286.5 million, turning a modestly budgeted into one of the biggest box-office stories of the year. Not taking anything away from Steven Spielberg. His much-publicised sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day has opened to staggering numbers, collecting approximately $92.9 million worldwide during its first weekend. Yet, despite the pedigree attached to Spielberg’s name and the massive scale of the film alone, the conversation online seems disproportionately tilted towards Obsession.
I do not see any reels on Disclosure Day, no memes, no viral moment reels- nothing. On the other hand, chatter around Obsession is dominating social media conversations. Inde Navarrette’s Nikki has turned into an Instagram sensation, her every look, every pose, every silence being meticulously dissected by millennials as acting masterclass. Obsession itself has everyone hooked/ obsessed, with multiple conspiracy theories doing the round, including one which shockingly claims Nikki gets possessed by Bear’s dead cat (Decidedly, I will let you decipher the ‘why’ behind it).
Disclosure Day has opened to staggering numbers, collecting approximately $92.9 million worldwide during its first weekend
But, above everything else, the obvious question is why? And the answer perhaps lies in what the two films are actually offering audiences. While Disclosure Day presents a large-scale spectacle about alien conspiracies, government secrecy and humanity’s future, Obsession’s horror roots from something much more intimate – relationships – those that become suffocating, unhealthy and emotionally destructive.
The premise of Obsession is deceptively simple. A young man – Bear – wishes for the woman (Nikki Freeman) he has a crush on to love him back. His wish is granted, but that affection quickly transforms into something terrifyingly possessive, and impossible to escape. What begins turns into a nightmare with garish resolution. Obsession has resonated deeply with younger audiences because it taps into anxieties that they already understand.
The premise of Obsession is deceptively simple. A young man – Bear – wishes for the woman (Nikki Freeman) he has a crush on to love him back.
That pop culture has romanticised obsession is not new. Films, television shows and even social media often celebrated grand gestures, possessiveness and emotional dependence as proof of love. The more someone chased a person, the more romantic they seemed. The more they sacrificed boundaries, the greater their love appeared. Love, and obsession has in an extremely warped manner gone hand-in-hand in popular culture.
What Obsession does, however, is dismantle that fantasy.
Curry Barker’s horror spectacle asks a simple but uncomfortable question. What if someone actually loved you more than anyone else in the world? What if they wanted your attention every second? What if they became the centre of your life and demanded that you become the centre of theirs? What if your entire existence gets uncomfortably entwined into theirs? The answer, according to the film, is horrifying.
That theme feels particularly relevant to Gen Z and younger millennials who have grown up navigating relationships in the age of social media, smartphones and a 24/7 availability. Seeing someone’s location, checking their online activity and expecting instant replies are often treated as standard relationship behaviour. The distinction between what is affection and what is surveillance has become blurred.
That theme feels particularly relevant to Gen Z and younger millennials who have grown up navigating relationships in the age of social media
The obsession around Obsession stems from the fact that the film functions less as a horror movie and more as a commentary on emotional dependency, loneliness and unhealthy expectations modern life and relationships create. The film is also a reflection of contemporary anxieties surrounding attachment and validation in the digital age.
The audience, thus, is not merely watching a horror story, they are watching a cinematic distortion that is reflective of real-life experiences. And the numbers support this argument.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Obsession currently holds an impressive 94-96 percent critics’ score and a matching audience approval rating of 94 percent. This is a rarity. Both critics and audiences have equally praised its ability to blend horror, dark humour and relationship commentary into an engaging onscreen experience. As for its theatrical performance – that has been even more remarkable.
Obsession has become one of the highest-grossing horror releases of recent years, earning nearly $286 million worldwide. In India, where Hollywood horror films traditionally remain niche, Obsession has managed to display extraordinary staying power having already collected over Rs 66 crore. Obsession, which released on May 19 in the US had raked in $17,196,655 on its first weekend. The film followed it up with $23,962,340, $27,395,480, $25,389,465 and $19,000,000 in the subsequent four weekends.
Numbers show that rather than opening huge and collapsing, Obsession has sustained momentum through strong audience recommendations and repeat viewings. Weekday collections have remained remarkably strong, with social media buzz continuing to fuel theatrical attendance and since release, its weekend numbers have only seen growth. In many ways this phenomenon highlights a broader shift occurring within entertainment where younger audiences increasingly reward authenticity over spectacle.
Beneath Obsession’s fantastical premise lies emotional reality and a truth that feels recognisable and the audience are perhaps responding to the honesty of its fears rather than the scale of visual effects in other contemporary films.
This is where Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day is facing a challenge.
Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day is facing a challenge.
Going by conventional standards, Steven Spielberg’s film is a success with nearly $93 million in global opening weekend. It also represents one of the director’s strongest openings in years. However, the Emily Blunt starrer is also a film built around familiar ideas. The film revisits themes and narrative territory that Spielberg has explored continually throughout his career. And while this familiarity is not necessarily a flaw, it does make the film feel less urgent.
Curry Barker’s Obsession, on the other hand, feels startlingly contemporary – lived reality of youngsters plagued by their own personal demons. The film discusses emotional boundaries, the issues with attachment, loneliness and unhealthy relationship dynamics. And all of these are conversations that are already dominating social media. Barker understands how modern relationships function and then exaggerates those dynamics into horror.
Curry Barker’s sensibilities in some way mirror that of Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock repeatedly returned to stories about unhealthy desire and fixation. Films like Vertigo and Rebecca are fundamentally about characters consumed by obsession. Similarly, Barker’s breakout film Obsession examines what happens when love turns into possession and entitlement. The film explores a man’s wish to be loved and the horrifying consequences that follow.
Curry Barker’s sensibilities in some way mirror that of Alfred Hitchcock.
Obsession also occupies the same cultural space like Gone Girl or television shows like You. The audience is fascinated not simply because these stories are frightening, but because they recognise fragments of reality within them. The success of Obsession also demonstrates that younger moviegoers are willing to champion original storytelling when it is reflective of their lived reality. And this is marked by the fact that the film’s rise found a catalyst – less in traditional advertising and more by TikTok clips, Instagram reels, online discussions and audience recommendations. The audience itself became the film’s greatest marketing tool.
This kind of a grassroots momentum is increasingly gaining importance in a cinematic milieu that is already saturated with sequels, reboots and franchise extensions.
What does this mean then? Ultimately, the obsession with Obsession is not really about horror, but about recognition.
Obsession also occupies the same cultural space like Gone Girl or television shows like You.
The audiences are seeing themselves reflected in the fears being shown in the movie. They perhaps recognise the emotional suffocation, the blurred boundaries and the desperate search for validation that define many contemporary relationships. To many men out there, Obsession also holds up a mirror questioning their inability to articulate, or their ego that sustains them. Take for instance the moment Nikki – lucid in her sleep – begs for freedom in death – Bear, pushed by his ego – declines. Obsession takes these anxieties and transforms them into an unforgettable cinematic nightmare.
While Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day offers audiences something grander it is less personal. No one cares about the world anymore, they are drawn towards their inner torments. And Obsession offers them a story that is inherently intimate. In 2026, that difference appears to be making all the difference at the box office.