The box office phenomenon
Released in North America on May 15th, Obsession became a box office phenomenon, far exceeding expectations in terms of revenue.
According to Deadline , YouTube filmmaker Curry Barker's debut film was initially predicted to earn only around $8-9 million in its opening weekend (May 15-17). However, the actual revenue was double that figure, reaching $17.2 million.
The film ranked third in the weekend box office rankings, behind only Michael ($26 million) and Devil Wears Prada 2 ($17.8 million).
It's worth noting that Obsession had an extremely low production budget, only about one million USD. For comparison, Michael Jackson 's investment was around 155-200 million USD, while Devil Wears Prada 2 was 100 million USD.
Moreover, this is an independent film, helmed by a young director (born in 1999) with no prior filmmaking experience. Spending one million USD to produce Obsession is considered a huge leap for Barker. Milk & Serial , the Gen Z director's debut 1-hour film released two years ago, only cost 800 USD.
The cast of the film, including the lead couple Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, are also not very well-known.
Despite those limitations, Obsession was a huge box office success. As of May 19th (local time), the film had grossed $23.7 million in North America, plus an additional $7.6 million internationally. Its current global total is $31.4 million.
What makes Obsession superior to many high-budget blockbusters is its ability to win over both critics and audiences.
On Rotten Tomatoes , the film received a "fresh tomato" rating of 95% from 206 reputable critics and the same score from over 2,500 audience reviews.
On CinemaScore , "A-" is the audience score after watching the film. Deadline emphasizes that this is rare for horror films, as this genre usually only ranges from B to C on this survey's scale.
In its opening week, 59% of moviegoers were male, with 40% of them aged between 25 and 34.
Where does the appeal come from?
To be fair, Obsession's box office success wasn't entirely unexpected. Proof of this is the fact that film production and distribution company Focus Features was willing to spend $14 million (according to Variety , some other publications reported over $15 million) to acquire the rights immediately after the film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2025.
Many observers called this one of the hottest TIFF deals of 2025. It seems that, at the time, Focus Features saw the limitless potential of Obsession , despite the film being rated R (equivalent to C18 in Vietnam, prohibiting viewers under 18 due to bloody violence, gruesome imagery, sexual content, foul language, and a few brief nude scenes), meaning a limited audience.
According to Variety , Obsession opens with a familiar motif of the horror genre: "Be careful what you wish for."
The film centers around Bear Bailey (Michael Johnston), a shy young man who secretly loves his childhood friend Nikki Freeman (Inde Navarrette) but is too afraid to confess his feelings. In desperation, he uses a strange item called the One Wish Willow to wish Nikki would love him "more than anything in the world."
The wish quickly came true, but not in the way Bear imagined; instead, it was distorted and terrifying. Nikki became intensely obsessed with Bear, unable to leave him, both passionate and out of control. What initially resembled a romantic dream gradually transformed into a psychological nightmare, leading to a series of violent and horrific consequences.
Initially, the film operates as a distorted and extreme romantic comedy, accurately capturing the psychological dependence within toxic relationships in modern times. Then, the plot abruptly shifts to a gory horror genre. Director Barker's strength lies in his smooth and skillful handling of this transition, leaving viewers genuinely startled by the jump scares and murders.
Variety critic Guy Lodge praised the young filmmaker for his deep understanding of the horror genre, his clever low-budget production approach, and his insightful perspective on Generation Z.
Besides the director's talent, young actress Inde Navarrette also played a crucial role in the film's success. She is praised for brilliantly portraying one of the most haunting female lead roles in recent horror films.
Navarrette's performance was highly expressive: at times she was a "muse" with a perfect smile, at other times a screaming, frenzied "witch," and sometimes she resembled an empty, exhausted human shell, stripped of both will and control of her body.
Navarrette's body language conveys despair, giving Obsession an emotional weight far beyond its initial intention of reflecting on the toxic dating culture of modern times. Instead, Nikki's psychological journey resembles a questioning of toxic patriarchal ideals in an era where sexism still persists. Furthermore, Nikki's forced love for Bear is portrayed as artificial and meaningless, akin to a relationship with an AI chatbot.
Due to its small scale and limited budget, the film lacks the grand scenes or expansive cinematic worlds found in today's horror blockbusters. The story largely revolves around a few characters and a confined space.
However, Barker knows how to turn limitations into advantages. The cramped space helps create a suffocating and unsettling atmosphere throughout the film. Without spectacular massacres, director Barker compensates by creating an effect with well-timed jump scares and gore scenes that are sufficiently haunting.
The film also doesn't try to explain too much about the mysterious One Wish Willow. It works simply because it works. The film accepts that instead of getting bogged down in complex mythological layers. It is precisely this mystery and ambiguity that makes the story chilling and unforgettable.
Additionally, Obsession was praised for its visuals, featuring a cold, dark color palette and a heavy, somber soundtrack throughout.
Compared to his low-budget YouTube video days, Curry Barker shows a clear improvement in his directing skills. However, the film still leaves some gaps and details that aren't fully explained.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/chuyen-tinh-yeu-doc-hai-am-anh-nhat-post1845289.tpo
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