Filmmaker Curry Barker's Obsession has scripted history by becoming the highest-grossing film ever made, moreso on a budget of under $1 million. The horror-thriller has officially surpassed the $400 million mark after two successful months at the box office and is this year's biggest hit.
Released on May 29, Curry Barker's Obsession follows the story of a youngster (Michael Johnston) who uses a novelty toy stick to make his longtime friend (Inde Navarrette) fall in love with him. However, what starts as a case of desire turns obsessive with dark and sinister repercussions.
The film earned $245 million across the US and $157 million overseas. This is a big feat for the filmmaker whose film was produced for a mere $750,000 and acquired by Focus Features for $14 million. Obsession is now the highest-grossing feature in the studio's history.
The blockbuster run continued even after one month in theatres and earned $5.3 million in the US and $12 million internationally during the July 4 holiday weekend. It is now moving towards he $250 million landmark in North America alone.
Thanks to word-of-mouth reviews from critics and audiences, especially from Gen-Z audiences, the film has been celebrated for its themes and layers. Interestingly, even Backrooms, directed by YouTuber Kane Parsons which was released around the same time, also met with similar success at the box office earning $347 million worldwide.
The last time this happened was when Bruce Lee's Enter The Dragon released. Made in 1973 with a production budget of just $850,000, it became a global phenomenon, earning nearly $400 million at the worldwide box office—equivalent to around $2 billion today. Other movies that faced similar successes were The Blair Witch Project (1999), Rocky (1976), Paranormal Activity (2007) and American Graffiti (1973), among others.
Obsession's success has sparked a major shift in the industry, with studios and producers increasingly looking towards investing in low-budget films. Many are also turning to Reddit as an unexpected source of fresh story ideas.