Micro-budget thriller ‘Obsession’ surges with $17.2M opening weekend

The new thriller “Obsession" had a massive opening weekend, earning $17.2 million in its U.S. debut and landing in third place at the box office across more than 2,000 theaters.

Made on a budget of around $1 million, as reported by Yahoo Entertainment, the dark thriller quickly became a breakout hit and turned a profit relative to its micro-budget. It has since grossed an estimated $27.7 million worldwide, including about $20.1 million in the U.S. and $7.6 million internationally.

Written and directed by Curry Barker, 26, the film has also found strong reception from both audiences and critics, currently holding a 95% approval rating from critics and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. According to Variety, opening weekend audiences were 59% male, while 40% of ticket buyers were between the ages of 25 and 34.

The story follows a hopeless romantic who breaks the mysterious “One Wish Willow” in an attempt to win over his crush, only to discover that getting exactly what he wished for comes with a dark and sinister cost. The film stars Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, and Megan Lawless.

The film made the rounds on the 2025 festival circuit, including a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, before receiving a wide theatrical release in May 2026 after Focus Features acquired the distribution rights for a reported $14 million.

"Obsession" was released in U.S. theaters on May 15, with a Philippine premiere on May 27.