‘Obsession’ Beats ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘Project Hail Mary’ on Streaming Charts
Horror has emerged as one of the most reliable success stories in cinema this year, with low-budget genre films consistently outperforming those backed by major studios. Audiences have flocked to original scary movies, and the financial success of some releases has been truly remarkable.
One title at the forefront of this trend is Curry Barker’s ‘Obsession’, a supernatural horror film that debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival before hitting theaters on May 15. The film centers on a music store employee named Bear, who wishes for his childhood crush to love him after discovering a mysterious object, only to see that wish take a dark turn.
Produced for a reported budget of under $750,000, ‘Obsession’ has quickly become one of the biggest financial stories in recent movie history. Following its momentum into streaming, ‘Obsession’ soared to the number one spot on the Apple TV Store within just 24 hours of its June 30 digital release.
This achievement is particularly impressive given the competition it faced. ‘Obsession’ outperformed notable titles like ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ and ‘Project Hail Mary’, both of which are higher-profile studio releases typically expected to dominate the digital landscape.
The streaming success marks another chapter in what has become one of 2026’s defining box office fairy tales. ‘Obsession’s theatrical run has pushed its worldwide total past $372 million, allowing it to surpass 2025’s ‘Sinners’ and claim the title among recent horror breakouts at the box office.
Achieving these numbers on such a small budget means the film has grossed nearly 500 times its production cost, a ratio that places it among the most profitable films ever made. Both critics and audiences have responded enthusiastically, with ‘Obsession’ holding matching scores of 94 percent on both the Tomatometer and the Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes.
Such widespread acclaim has made ‘Obsession’ impossible for the industry to overlook, garnering praise from unexpected corners of Hollywood. Steven Spielberg commented on the film during a red carpet event for his own movie, ‘Disclosure Day’, expressing admiration for its impressive performance despite its low budget.
“I’m so happy for them. I think it’s so fantastic,” Spielberg stated in an interview, adding that he had already seen ‘Obsession’ and loved it. An endorsement from a filmmaker of Spielberg’s caliber adds significant weight to a film that was already generating considerable buzz.
The streaming rollout of ‘Obsession’ is expected to continue expanding in the coming weeks, with other digital platforms likely to report similar chart-topping numbers as their data comes in. A physical media release is also on the horizon, with 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD versions set to be released shortly after the digital debut.
For director Curry Barker, the success of ‘Obsession’ has opened doors for his next project, a horror film titled ‘Anything But Ghosts’, which is set in the same universe but is not a direct sequel. Given the journey of this film, from a festival premiere to dominating both theaters and streaming charts, expectations for Barker’s next endeavor are already soaring.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!