Obsession has become one of the most successful releases of the summer, due to its relatable premise and an important message it conveys. The film has also induced conversations among audiences about male entitlement, the consequences of obsessive behaviour, and whether all wishes should come true.
Obsession box office success has also been through the roof. The film now has surpassed a global box office revenue of $261.7 million, thus breaking the record The Blair Witch Project held for 26 years.
Obsession crosses The Blair Witch Project as the highest-grossing film with a budget less than $1 million
The Blair Witch Project, which was released in 1999, is a found-footage film about three young students who hiked into the Appalachian Mountains to shoot a documentary about a local myth called Blair Witch. The film’s total budget was $200,000–$750,000, but it earned a global box office revenue of $248.6 million. It is considered to be one of the most successful independent films of all time.
The Blair Witch Project held the record of being the highest-grossing film with a budget less than $1 million, but Obsession has now broken that record. The film was released in theatres on May 15, 2026, and was made under a budget of $750,000. Within a month of release, the film grossed over $261 million. It is thus now the highest-grossing film with a budget less than $1 million.
The Steven Spielberg-directed Disclosure Day was released on June 12, 2026, and brought in around $45 million. If Obsession keeps being a box office success in the coming weeks, it might be a good competitor to Disclosure Day. For an independent film to perform as well as or perhaps even better than a Spielberg film would be a huge success.
The film follows Bear (played by Michael Johnston), who has feelings for his colleague and friend, Nikki (played by Inde Navarrette). To make her have feelings for him too, Bear breaks a “One Wish Willow” he had initially bought as a gift for Nikki. He wished for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world.
Unfortunately, that ends up being something Bear should have never wished for. His wish comes true, and we see Nikki become extremely obsessed with him. It is evident that she has taken over something supernatural, but through her obsessive behaviour and Bear’s reaction to it, we understand that this obsession isn’t just a one-way thing.
The film shows that while it is Nikki (as in, whatever possessed her) that is obsessive and makes Bear’s life hell, it was his initial obsession with Nikki that has led to all this. It explores the concept of “Careful what you wish for” in an extremely nuanced way, and leaves the viewers with much to think about.
This is a big reason as to why the film has been successful. It doesn’t just show women to be crazy individuals but also shows that this erratic behaviour is often caused by people who are entitled and expect a lot from them. Moreover, another reason the film has been such a success is because audiences resonate with the film’s concepts of unrequited love, obsessive behaviour, and toxic partners.
Obsession presents a story that initially seems like any other story of unrequited love that possibly could not get too scary, only to end up being a nightmare no one saw coming.
For more articles like this, follow Soapcentral.
Edited by Riddhee