Obsession Topples Paranormal Activity's 17-Year Record

Every now and then a film comes along and just blindsides everyone – not necessarily because it’s packed with stars or dripping with a monster budget, but because the premise is bonkers, the audience gets hooked, and suddenly it’s a runaway success. Yes, I’m talking about ‘Obsession’ – the latest shocker from Curry Barker that’s managed to worm its way into the collective psyche of cinema-goers everywhere.

So What’s the Story?

Picture this: a slightly awkward but well-meaning young bloke (played by Michael Johnston) finds himself hopelessly smitten with Inde Navarrette’s character. Rather than just dealing with it like a rational adult, he stumbles on what looks like a harmless children’s toy, makes a wish for romance, and – surprise surprise – things get very ugly, very quickly. Horror ensues, as you’d expect when supernatural meddling is involved.

Box Office Madness

If you’re wondering how ‘Obsession’ has actually performed, here’s the fun bit. It dropped in cinemas on 15 May 2026, and despite going up against some big names, it landed at number three in its opening weekend, bagging $17.2 million. Not bad, given the competition included the likes of ‘Michael’, ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, and ‘Mortal Kombat II’.

But it didn’t stop there. In a move no one really saw coming, ‘Obsession’ climbed the weekday charts and actually grabbed the number one spot from Monday through Wednesday. That’s not something you see every week, especially with so many high-profile sequels kicking about.

The Money Bit (and How it Broke the Rules)

The most surprising stat? This film was made for just $750,000. That makes it the cheapest horror flick to top the box office since ‘Paranormal Activity’ back in 2009. For context: ‘Paranormal Activity’ cost an absurdly tiny $15,000 and went viral via a slow-burn release strategy, eventually making $21.1 million on its fifth weekend before ballooning to $107.5 million in the States and $193.3 million worldwide.

While ‘Obsession’ hasn’t hit those numbers (yet), it isn’t far off pace: $30.2 million domestically after just one week. Not bad considering the price tag. And it achieved all that on the strength of word-of-mouth, not some cynical marketing blitz.

Is it Actually Any Good?

Surprisingly, yes – at least according to everyone who’s seen it. The film boasts a 95% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and an A- CinemaScore from audiences who fancied a scare and left pretty chuffed. That’s a rare combo. This glowing reputation has kept it holding strong on the charts, and – in a bit of a twist – there’s chatter that it could actually increase viewership going into its second weekend. For a horror film, that’s almost unheard of.

'Obsession is the cheapest horror movie to top the box office since Paranormal Activity in 2009.'

Cast & Crew Highlights

• Director: Curry Barker
• Michael Johnston as the lead (hapless wish-maker)
• Inde Navarrette as the crush/object of (unwanted) affection

Looking Ahead: Trouble Brewing?

So, what’s next for ‘Obsession’? It’ll be up against ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ for Memorial Day, which will almost certainly take the top slot, but ‘Obsession’ should hold its own as solid alternative viewing (because not everyone wants space bounty hunters, apparently).

But there’s a bigger threat lurking: A24’s ‘Backrooms’ launches on 29 May, and every horror nerd knows about it already. ‘Backrooms’ takes its cue from internet shorts and online creepiness, and will almost certainly make a splash. Still, even if ‘Obsession’ loses some ground, it’s already paid for itself twenty times over, which for a microbudget horror film in 2026 is frankly absurd.

And don’t be shocked if Inde Navarrette drums up some awards buzz come the end of the year – you heard it here first.