Obsession is fast becoming one of the new horror hits of the year.
The Blumhouse Productions and Focus Features release opened last weekend with $17.1 million at the domestic box office and has been holding strong during the week, including a $6 million second Friday.
Box Office Mojo currently shows the movie nearly matching its opening Friday total, a big sign that word-of-mouth is kicking in.
The movie could be closing in on $40 million by the end of the weekend, which would be huge for a low-budget horror release.
A Big Win For A Small Budget Horror Movie
The numbers look even better when you factor in the budget.
Obsession reportedly cost only between $750,000 and $1 million to make, the film opened strong, and has a current a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score from both critics and fans. The A- CinemaScore is also near unprecedented for a horror flick, which usually average in the B-range.
For Blumhouse and Focus Features, that makes Obsession another example of why horror remains one of the smartest bets in Hollywood.
A movie does not need a $200 million budget to break out. It needs a hook, a cast that works, and strong word-of-mouth.
Obsession appears to have all three.
What Is Obsession About?
The official synopsis says: After breaking the mysterious âOne Wish Willowâ to win his crushâs heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
Focus Features describes the movie as a horror story about Bear, played by Michael Johnston, who uses the âOne Wish Willowâ after blowing his chance with Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette. The wish works, but it comes with a twisted cost.
DC Fans Will Know Inde Navarrette From Superman & Lois
DC fans will recognize Inde Navarrette from Superman & Lois, where she played Sarah Cushing.
In Obsession, Navarrette plays Nikki, the crush at the center of the story. Michael Johnston plays Bear, the hopeless romantic whose wish starts the nightmare.
Johnston is also known for voice work in video games and animation, while Obsession gives him a major live-action horror lead role.
The cast also includes Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter.
Curry Barker Breaks Out With Obsession
Obsession is written and directed by Curry Barker.
Barker has been getting attention as a new horror filmmaker, and Obsession looks like it could be the movie that puts him on the map with mainstream audiences.
Watch the trailer:
