Nikki and Bear’s unsettling relationship in Obsession has turned the horror film into an unlikely global phenomenon. The movie has found a passionate audience in India too, where it has become the highest-grossing English horror film. Reflecting on the film’s unexpected success, director Curry Barker admitted that he was taken aback by the overwhelming response it received from Indian audiences.
Obsession director on getting love from India
In an interview with Variety India, the film’s director opened up about being taken aback by the overwhelming response Obsession received in India. In India, the film has collected over ₹78.60 crore net, more than any Western horror film ever. The 26-year-old also spoke candidly about his current fears and anxieties.
Talking about Obsession becoming a hit in India, Curry Barker said, “I definitely did not expect Obsession to be a big hit in India. I didn’t expect it to be a big hit anywhere, really. You hope and dream that your movie is successful and that it resonates with people. But I can’t believe what it’s doing. I mean, we made this movie for nothing. I just can’t believe that it’s getting the recognition that it’s getting.”
Following the runaway success of the horror film, the director is now attracting attention from major Hollywood studios. However, he admits he is wary of the studio system prevalent in the industry.
“I’m actually more nervous about myself than the studio system. I’m going to figure it out. I’m trying to just cut out all the noise and try to remember whatever made me unique or made people like my voice in the first place. Also not really even care about what other people think. I think Obsession turned out well, only because I wasn’t making it for anybody else but myself. And I really want to continue that. I don’t want the noise around the success of Obsession to get to me,” he mentioned.
About Obsession
The story follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a lonely, hopeless romantic working at a music store who has been quietly in love with his childhood friend and coworker Nikki (Inde Navarrette). After a failed attempt to confess his feelings, Bear turns to a mysterious crystal shop and buys a strange trinket called the One Wish Willow. He makes a desperate wish: that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world. The wish comes true in the worst possible way.
The horror film has emerged as one of the biggest box office success stories of the year. Made on a modest budget of just $750,000, the film has grossed over $250 million worldwide, becoming a global phenomenon. Audiences across the world have flocked to theatres and sparked widespread conversations around its unsettling themes of toxic relationships, loneliness, male entitlement and the erosion of personal agency, all of which have resonated deeply with viewers.