Director Curry Barker says he did not expect Obsession to become a major success in India, where the horror film has emerged as the highest-grossing English-language film of 2026, collecting more than Rs 78.60 crore nett at the box office.
In a recent interview, the 26-year-old filmmaker admitted he was surprised by the scale of its success.
“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,” Barker told Variety India.
The film has become one of the year's biggest box office success stories. Produced on a modest budget of USD 750,000, Obsession has grossed more than USD 250 million worldwide.
The horror drama follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a music store employee who has long harboured feelings for his childhood friend and co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette). After failing to confess his love, Bear purchases a mysterious trinket known as the One Wish Willow from a crystal shop and wishes for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world. The wish is granted, but with devastating consequences.
Following the film's breakout success, Barker has also attracted interest from major Hollywood studios. However, the filmmaker said he remains cautious and is more concerned about staying true to his creative instincts.
“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,” Barker said.
“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 added.
Barker said his focus remains on preserving the authenticity that helped Obsession connect with audiences worldwide, even as new opportunities emerge in the wake of the film's commercial success.