Horror film Obsession has become one of the biggest hits of the year. Made on a shoestring budget of $750K (around ₹7 crore), it has already grossed $100 million (over ₹950 crore) worldwide. That is a profit of over 10000%, the highest for any film this year.
Written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker, Obsession stars Michael Johnston as Bear, a music store employee who buys a supernatural toy that grants him his wish for his childhood friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette) to fall in love with him, resulting in horrifying consequences. Obsession premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before a theatrical release on May 15.
Curry Barker drops easter egg
On Thursday, Curry Barker took to Instagram to pen a note on the film’s success and thank the audience. But the catch was a series of pictures, which he noted was an Easter egg for the film. “Over 100M at the box office?! 🤯 So surreal and it’s all because of you guys. Thank you to everyone who has come out to watch the film and to everyone who helped us get here. I’m obsessed with you.
PS – did you catch this Easter egg?? The photos tell a story.”
(Spoiler alert)
The pictures were a few polaroid pictures taken of Bear and Nikki, along with Cooper Tomlinson as Ian (Bear and Nikki’s friend) and Megan Lawless as Sarah Harper (another friend). In one picture, Nikki is seen closer to Ian, while Bear made a goofy face. In another picture, Megan leaned on Bear. In the film, it is revealed that Megan had a crush on Bear, while Ian and Nikki had hooked up for a while. All this happened while Bear and Nikki were stuck together because of his decision. The pictures hint on these two connections between the four of them. Both Megan and Ian face terrible consequences in the hands of Nikki because of that.
Inde commented on the post and wrote, “BAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHA megan sideways.”
The story follows Bear, a lonely, hopeless romantic working at a music store who has been quietly in love with his childhood friend and coworker Nikki. After yet another failed attempt to confess his feelings, Bear turns to a mysterious crystal shop and buys a strange trinket called the One Wish Willow. He makes a desperate wish: that Nikki would love him more than anyone else in the world.
The wish comes true in the worst possible way. Nikki’s feelings become overwhelming, obsessive and unstable. Her affection turns suffocating, almost violent in its intensity. She cannot bear to be away from Bear, reacts with panic when he leaves, and begins displaying deeply disturbing behaviour as her love transforms into fixation. The film was released in India on May 29.