‘Obsession‘ continues to advance as one of the most unexpected phenomena of the recent box office. The horror film directed by Curry Barker has already entered a comparison that seemed reserved for giants such as ‘Avengers: Endgame‘, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home‘ and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘, although not by total box office, but by a very specific indicator of permanence in theaters. His case is extraordinary because it was born in the antipodes of the great franchises, as an independent horror production.
The achievement does not place ‘Obsession’ at the historical level of those blockbusters, but it does confirm that its commercial journey has something out of the ordinary. While other big releases concentrate a good part of their money in the first days, the Focus Features film has continued to grow thanks to word of mouth, the push of young audiences and a romantic horror premise that found its own conversation on networks and movie theaters.
What record did ‘Obsession’ just beat?
The new milestone of ‘Obsession’ is in its performance during the 25th day of domestic exhibition (United States and Canada). According to reported information, the film earned close to US$4.2 million that Monday, surpassing what several of the highest-grossing films in history did on the same day of exhibition. The most striking comparison is with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which on its 25th day made about $3.1 million. It also came in ahead of “Avengers: Endgame,” which grossed $3.2 million, and “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which grossed $2.4 million.
The difference is striking. “Obsession” isn’t close to reaching the totals of those films, but with its budget of less than $1 million, and a domestic gross of $156 million ($234 globally), it’s already far more profitable than any of those three. His daily performance is extraordinary because he started from a much smaller opening and has managed to hold his own with unusual strength.
A small movie with huge legs
The case of ‘Obsession’ is even more striking because of its starting point. The film opened with about $17 million, a solid figure for a low-budget production, but a far cry from the massive releases of Marvel, Star Wars or major studio sagas. The difference came later. Instead of collapsing after its debut, “Obsession” made more money in its second weekend than it did in its first, and then more in its third weekend than in its second. That kind of behavior is very rare at the box office today, especially within horror films, where many releases tend to depend on a strong first week before falling quickly.
The film also returned to No. 1 on Monday, surpassing “Scary Movie” and surpassing more recent releases such as “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” “Backrooms” and “Masters of the Universe.” As of June 8, it was also less than $1 million short of reaching the total domestic box office of “The Mandalorian & Grogu.”
What does this achievement mean for low-budget horror?
The performance of ‘Obsession’ confirms that horror remains one of the most profitable genres when it finds a clear idea, an effective campaign and organic conversation. The film, starring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, revolves around Bear, a young man who uses a magical object called One Wish Willow to make the girl he likes fall in love with him. The desire works, but the result takes a dark turn.
Its success does not depend on a previous brand or recognized characters. The film has been sustained by the curiosity of the public, the impulse of Gen Z and an easy-to-sell premise: be careful what you wish for. Although some films such as ‘Avatar’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ had a 25th day higher, ‘Obsession’ already surpassed titles such as ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, ‘Titanic’, ‘Black Panther’, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, ‘Jurassic World’, ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.
With information from The Wrap.
