“Obsession” is proving to be a rare theatrical breakout, posting an unusually strong second weekend that saw the low-budget horror film earn $22 million from 2,655 North American theaters, with a projected $28.2 million over the Memorial Day holiday. That represented a 30% increase from its $17.2 million opening, a near-unprecedented rise for a wide-release movie and an especially unusual pattern for horror, a genre that typically drops sharply after debuting. The film has now reached $58.5 million in North America and $74 million worldwide, all against a production budget of less than $1 million, positioning it as one of the year’s most profitable releases.
The film’s momentum is being driven by unusually strong word-of-mouth. Audiences gave it an “A-” CinemaScore, while critics and viewers have helped push it to a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score. That level of reception is uncommon for horror, where audiences often react negatively to disturbing content and poor reviews. Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian said the second-weekend jump was virtually unheard of and reflected the extent to which audiences are embracing the movie.
“Younger moviegoers have played a major role in the film’s success. According to PostTrak, 75% of the audience was between 18 and 25 years old, underscoring a broader trend in which original horror films continue to find strong support from Gen Z and younger millennial viewers. Recent hits such as “M3GAN,” “The Black Phone,” “Barbarian,” “Weapons,” “Longlegs” and “Talk to Me” have also shown that original horror can sustain theatrical business after opening weekend rather than collapsing quickly.”
Jason Blum, whose Blumhouse-Atomic Monster backed “Obsession,” said the film reflects a new generation of moviegoers with a distinct appetite for horror. Focus Features distributed the movie and chose a wide release instead of a slower platform rollout, opening it in 2,000 theaters nationwide. The strategy appears to have paid off, with repeat business especially strong in Los Angeles and the movie succeeding without premium-format screens such as IMAX.
Focus also used creative marketing to build buzz before release, including a real-world commercial tied to the film’s magical device and cryptic billboards in Los Angeles and New York featuring eerie text messages, voice notes and deliveries. The campaign helped generate curiosity and direct audience engagement, with a product linked to the film reportedly selling out within hours.
“Obsession” also continued to draw weekday crowds, topping the North American box office on Monday through Thursday before “The Mandalorian and Grogu” claimed the top weekend spot. Focus acquired the film at the Toronto Film Festival last year for $14 million, setting up strong profit potential. The studio is already moving forward with director Curry Barker’s next project, “Anything But Ghosts,” starring Aaron Paul and Bryce Dallas Howard. Barker, along with other YouTube-born creators such as Markiplier and Kane Parsons, is part of a growing group of online personalities successfully crossing into theatrical filmmaking.
