Netflix’s ‘Obsession’ Release Date, Trailer, Plot and Cast

The horror film ‘Obsession’ is heading to Netflix after a theatrical run that Focus Features and writer director Curry Barker turned into a record setting event. Netflix confirmed in an October 18 post that the film arrives on its US service on November 17. For viewers who missed it in cinemas, the wait for ‘Obsession’ on Netflix is now close to over.

The move to the streamer follows a staggered release path that began in theaters and passed through digital storefronts and Peacock. Here is what is known about the date, the trailer, the story and the people on screen.

‘Obsession’ Release Date on Netflix

The Netflix arrival is tied to the streamer’s licensing agreement with Universal, and release dates may differ in other territories. Under that arrangement, new theatrical titles stream first on Peacock for an exclusive window of about four months before moving to Netflix. After the Netflix window of ten months, the film is set to return to Peacock.

The film’s theatrical life was unusually long. Focus Features released it across the United States on May 15, 2026. The strong turnout led the studio to delay its premium video on demand release and offer a longer theatrical window of 45 days.

Peacock then made the film available to stream on July 17, 2026. Physical media followed as well, with a collector’s edition on 4K Ultra HD arriving on July 14, 2026.

The ‘Obsession’ Trailer and Marketing

Marketing for the film leaned on a simple warning about getting what you wish for. A teaser trailer was released in the build up to the May opening, and it was framed around being careful what you wish for. A full trailer followed, and Focus Features later pushed a new trailer ahead of the May 15 opening.

The footage presented the story of a hopeless romantic who wishes that his long time crush falls in love with him, and a sinister enchantment follows. One trailer was promoted with the line that love really hurts, and it described the film as a buzzy horror hit.

The buildup had a festival backbone as well. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2025, as part of its Midnight Madness block. Focus Features acquired the rights there for a reported figure of between fourteen and fifteen million dollars.

The ‘Obsession’ Plot Explained

The story centers on Bear, a shy music store worker who has a crush on his friend and co-worker Nikki but cannot bring himself to ask her out. He sets out to buy Nikki a crystal necklace, then settles on a One Wish Willow, a novelty toy that grants a single wish when it is broken. He gets exactly what he asked for, only to learn that some desires carry a dark and sinister price.

The film draws on a very old template. Barker was inspired by the short story ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ and reworked it around the Willow, adding gender dynamics and a one sided romance to the classic warning. One reviewer observed that Barker avoids over explaining the mythology, and the Willow works more as an accelerant for moral failure than as a plot device. Once the wish is made, the story slides into escalating devotion, possessiveness and a loss of identity.

The film’s origins are also tied to the people who made it. Barker is part of the YouTube comedy duo That’s a Bad Idea with Cooper Tomlinson, and he conceived the film as a story about a couple obsessed with one another. He has also said he would like to explore more wishes gone wrong with the Willow in episodic television if a sequel becomes possible.

The Full ‘Obsession’ Cast

Michael Johnston plays Baron Bear Bailey, with Inde Navarrette as Nikki Freeman, Cooper Tomlinson as Ian and Andy Richter as Bear’s boss Carter Harper. Megan Lawless also appears as Sarah Harper, a friend and co-worker of the central pair. The ensemble includes performers known from ‘Slash,’ ‘Superman & Lois’ and ‘Treasure Trackers.’

The casting process was built around chemistry. Casting was underway in August 2024, and Navarrette won the role of Nikki after many auditions because Barker felt she balanced the crazy and the scary. Johnston was cast as Bear after a chemistry read with her.

Behind the camera, the film is closely tied to one voice. Barker wrote and directed the film and edited it himself, with Jason Blum attached as executive producer. It runs 108 minutes and carries an R rating.

The commercial results are now part of the story as well. ‘Obsession’ passed ‘Downton Abbey’ to become the highest grossing film in Focus Features history, and a fourth weekend drop of only seven percent set a record for horror. With that kind of word of mouth behind it, will Bear’s wish and Nikki’s transformation hit differently when ‘Obsession’ lands on Netflix, and which moment from the One Wish Willow do you think will have people talking again once it is on their screens at home.