‘Obsession’ Crashes the IMDb Top 250 and Proves Curry Barker Is Horror’s Biggest New Force
Horror has always had a talent for minting unlikely stars overnight, but the rise of ‘Obsession’ and its director Curry Barker is something even the genre’s most seasoned veterans rarely witness. What began as a micro-budget feature shot in just 20 days has snowballed into one of the most improbable and thrilling success stories in recent Hollywood memory, captivating audiences and critics in equal measure.
The supernatural psychological horror film was written, directed, and edited by Barker in his feature directorial debut, produced by Blumhouse Productions alongside Capstone Pictures and Tea Shop Productions, and distributed theatrically by Focus Features in the United States. The film follows a hopeless romantic who makes a Faustian bargain to win his crush’s heart, a twisted take on the classic “be careful what you wish for” premise. With a reported budget of under a million dollars and a cast built around rising talents, few could have predicted what would follow.
Now, ‘Obsession’ has cemented its place in cinematic history by crashing the IMDb Top 250 Films of All Time, currently sitting at number 248 with an 8.1 rating drawn from over 82,000 user votes. It is an astonishing milestone for any film, let alone a debut feature from a 26-year-old YouTuber-turned-filmmaker whose name was virtually unknown outside genre circles just a year ago.
The film earned a domestic debut of $16 million, then grew 30 percent in its second weekend with a $22.4 million haul, and added another 10 percent jump in its third weekend with $26.4 million domestically, a feat almost unheard of in modern theatrical releases. The film’s total global box office has reached $148 million, an extraordinary return on its $750,000 budget, with its North American haul alone reaching $58.5 million after just two weekends.
On Rotten Tomatoes, ‘Obsession’ holds a Certified Fresh 94 percent rating from critics and a Verified Hot 94 percent from audiences. Reviewers have praised Inde Navarrette’s performance as creatively grotesque and darkly funny, while calling Barker a filmmaker to watch. The critical consensus underscores just how effectively the film transcends its premise, delivering something that resonates far beyond its horror trappings.
Barker has spoken candidly about the journey. In an interview with NBC News, he recalled telling his team during production, “When we made ‘Obsession,’ we had no idea what was going to happen. As the leader of the ship, I had to tell the people: ‘This is going to be huge.'” That conviction proved prophetic, as the film sparked a competitive bidding war at TIFF before Focus Features ultimately prevailed.
With ‘Obsession’ firmly in the rearview mirror, Barker has already been tapped to helm the next installment in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, while his Blumhouse follow-up ‘Anything But Ghosts’ is currently in post-production. The horror community is watching closely, and with an IMDb Top 250 entry to his name before his second feature has even screened, the conversation around Curry Barker is only getting louder.
Where do you think ‘Obsession’ will eventually land on that IMDb list, and does a debut this explosive make Barker the most exciting new voice in horror today?
