Obsession is an American supernatural horror movie directed by, written by and edited by Curry Barker. The movie is about Bear, a music store clerk who is developing feelings for his friend Nikki. Bear stumbles on a hidden, secret and supernatural toy named the One Wish Willow, and wishes that Nikki will love Bear more than anyone in the world. His desire is fulfilled, but her love turns into a growingly insatiable obsession. This article will provide complete information about the Obsession Movie 2026.
Obsession Movie 2026 Overview
Obsession is a supernatural horror film which is a mix of romance, psychological horror, dark comedy and suspense. The theme of the story is “Be careful what you wish for. But the supernatural wish has consequences that are far more disturbing than Bear could have ever imagined, as he hopes to make Nikki fall in love with him.
Curry Barker is the director, writer and editor of the film. Production companies include Blumhouse Productions, Capstone Studios and Tea Shop Productions. The film was released on home video in the U.S. by Focus Features and internationally by Universal Pictures.
| Category | Details |
| Title | Obsession |
| Genre | Supernatural Horror |
| Directed By | Curry Barker |
| Written By | Curry Barker |
| Edited By | Curry Barker |
| Starring | Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Production Companies | Blumhouse Productions, Capstone Studios, Tea Shop Productions |
| Distributed By | Focus Features |
| International Distributor | Universal Pictures |
| Premiere Date | September 5, 2025 |
| U.S. Release Date | May 15, 2026 |
| Running Time | 109 Minutes |
| Budget | $750,000 |
| Music By | Rock Burwell |
| Cinematography | Taylor Clemons |
Obsession Movie 2026 Plot
Baron “Bear” Bailey, an introverted music store employee, harbors secret romantic feelings for his coworker, Nikki Freeman. Following the death of Nikki’s cat, Bear visits a crystal shop and purchases an odd novelty item called the “One Wish Willow.” Frustrated by his inability to confess his true feelings, Bear breaks the toy and wishes for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world.
The wish takes effect immediately, but Nikki’s affection quickly spirals into a terrifying and dangerous obsession. Her behavior becomes increasingly erratic and controlling, ultimately escalating to the point where she murders their mutual coworker, Sarah, in a fit of jealousy. Desperate to reverse the dark magic, Bear attempts to use another One Wish Willow, but his efforts fail when their friend Ian accidentally wastes the wish.
The situation culminates in a tragic climax. Unable to cope with the escalating chaos, Bear dies from an overdose linked to the final One Wish Willow. Upon his death, the spell breaks, leaving Nikki to snap back to reality—horrified by the devastating consequences of Bear’s wish.
Cast of Obsession Movie 2026
Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter are part of the cast of main characters in Obsession. The set includes the main cast of characters who are the ones whose lives are impacted by Bear’s magic wish.
| Actor | Character | Role Type |
| Michael Johnston | Bear | Main |
| Inde Navarrette | Nikki | Main |
| Cooper Tomlinson | Ian | Supporting |
| Megan Lawless | Sarah | Supporting |
| Andy Richter | Carter | Supporting |
| Haley Fitzgerald | Viola | Supporting |
| Darin Toonder | Harry | Supporting |
| Curry Barker | One Wish Willow Customer Service Representative | Voice Role |
Main Cast of the Obsession Movie 2026
Michael Johnston as Bear
Obsession’s main character is Baron “Bear” Bailey, played by Michael Johnston. Bear is an employee at the music store, who has romantic feelings towards Nikki, but is unable to tell her up front. He chooses the One Wish Willow to start the whole story. Bear wants Nikki to love him and his super-natural wish makes it more and more terrifying and out of control.
| Field | Information |
| Full Name | Michael Johnston |
| Role | Bear / Baron Bailey |
| Character Type | Main Character |
| Known For | Obsession |
Inde Navarrette as Nikki
Inde Navarrette portrays Bear’s friend and co-worker, Nikki Freeman. Nikki doesn’t have the same feelings of romance for Bear before Bear makes his wish.
Once the wish comes true, Nikki starts being obsessed with Bear. Her personality and behavior slowly becomes terrifying, making her one of the most significant characters in the film.
Navarrette was universally applauded for her portrayal of Nikki, both as a frightening character and as one who is emotionally vulnerable.
| Field | Information |
| Full Name | Inde Navarrette |
| Role | Nikki Freeman |
| Character Type | Main Character |
| Known For | 13 Reasons Why, Superman & Lois, Obsession |
Niv Filler as Mickey Rite
Cooper Tomlinson plays Ian, Bear and Nikki’s friend and co-worker. Ian has a complicated relationship with Nikki and grows more and more involved in the repercussions of Bear’s supernatural wish. Along with Curry Barker, Tomlinson is a creative collaborator. The two have worked together on comedy and filmmaking projects.
| Field | Information |
| Full Name | Cooper Tomlinson |
| Role | Ian |
| Character Type | Supporting |
| Known For | Obsession, Milk & Serial |
Megan Lawless as Sarah
One of Bear and Nikki’s friends and coworkers, Megan Lawless plays Sarah. However, she is important in the story when she starts talking about Nikki’s past relationship with Ian. Nikki becomes a supernatural obsession of Sarah’s and as such her role becomes important towards the end of the film.
| Field | Information |
| Full Name | Megan Lawless |
| Role | Sarah |
| Character Type | Supporting |
| Known For | Obsession |
Andy Richter as Carter
Andy Richter is Carter, the manager of the music shop where Bear, Nikki, Ian and Sarah work. Carter is also Sarah’s dad.
Richter’s role provides a familiar comedic element to the ensemble, but his character also serves as a link to the main story.
| Field | Information |
| Full Name | Andy Richter |
| Role | Carter |
| Character Type | Supporting |
| Known For | Comedy and Television |
Supporting Cast of Obsession
Haley Fitzgerald and Darin Toonder also appear in the movie as Viola and Harry, respectively, who also work at the crystal shop where Bear meets up with the One Wish Willow. Curry Barker also voices the One Wish Willow customer service representative.
| Actor Name | Character Name |
| Haley Fitzgerald | Viola |
| Darin Toonder | Harry |
| Curry Barker | One Wish Willow Customer Service Representative |
Obsession Movie 2026 Production Details
Curry Barker is a Filmmaker/sketch comedian who went through a period of time obsessed with creating the film Obsession. The film originated as a tale of a man and a woman going crazy over each other. It was inspired in part by the episode “Treehouse of Horror II” from the TV series The Simpsons, which contains the Monkey’s Paw.
Barker had previously released a short horror film called The Chair and this time he tried to take the chance to pitch a film called Obsession. He worked in a coffee shop for around 8 months to write the screenplay. The film was ultimately going to get made with Capstone Studios being its financier, and Tea Shop Productions being the production company.
The film had a budget of no more than about $750,000, which is why it was so remarkable when it made it to the big screen.
Obsession Movie 2026 Casting
The movie was filmed in 2024. It was originally planned to have Barker appear as Bear, and Cooper Tomlinson did an early screen test for the role before Michael Johnston was eventually cast.
Nikki was the only one Barker required to play both the average young woman and the menacing, supernatural character. Inde Navarrette eventually was picked up following a chemistry read with Johnston. She had to expend a lot of physical and emotional energy in her performance, such as extreme facial expressions, screams and voice changes.
Obsession Filming Details
The shooting took place from late October 2024 with principal photography.The film was shot in the Los Angeles area, with principal photography starting in late October 2024. The production lasted for 26 days, with a reshoot after 20 days of shooting.
The film’s production included several real sets, such as a Burbank residence, Cassell’s Music store in San Fernando, Green Man crystal shop, and Roguelike Tavern in Burbank, as well as Little Toni’s pizzeria in North Hollywood. Using LED-screen technology, car scenes were filmed on a soundstage.
Barker and cinematographer Taylor Clemons also shot 3D images of locations to create digital models prior to shooting. This gave them time to more carefully plan their shots and practical effects.
Obsession Post-Production
As of March 2025, Obsession is in Post production which was edited using Adobe premiere by Curry Barker. Barker also did voiceovers for the One Wish Willow customer service representative during editing of the movie.
Additional reshoots of the production were done to enhance the opening and to better convey Bear’s motivations. It was also changed at the end of production. Initially, Barker filmed an ending where Nikki died, but later chose one in which she survives after Bear’s death.
Obsession Movie Music
Obsession’ saw Rock Burwell make his feature film music career debut with the score. His score was conceived to match the disturbing ambiance of the film, and to investigate the concept of the emotions becoming distorted and unnatural.
The 18-track soundtrack was released digitally on May 15, 2026, on the same day the movie was released theatrically in the United States. Physical soundtrack editions were also in the cards.
Obsession Movie 2026 Release Date
Obsession opened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 5th September 2025 in the Midnight Madness section. The film was later picked up by Focus Features. The film eventually made its way into theatres in the U.S. on May 15, 2026.
| Release Detail | Information |
| World Premiere | September 5, 2025 |
| Festival Premiere | Toronto International Film Festival |
| U.S. Theatrical Release | May 15, 2026 |
| Distributor | Focus Features |
| International Distributor | Universal Pictures |
| Premium VOD Release | June 30, 2026 |
| Physical Release | July 14, 2026 |
| Streaming Release | July 17, 2026 |
| Streaming Platform | Peacock |
Obsession Movie 2026 Where to Watch (Streaming and Home Media)
Obsession was theatrically released and is now available on video on demand via premium services on June 30, 2026. The home release was on July 14 in various formats, including DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UltraHD. The movie subsequently aired on Peacock on July 17, 2026.
Obsession Box Office Performance
With its relatively small budget, but large success, Obsession was a major commercial hit. As per the records, the film has grossed around $512.6 million globally, out of which $263.5 million have come from the United States and Canada, and $249.1 million from other parts of the world as of September 7, 2026.
The movie started with about $17.2 million in the U.S. and Canada. Its second weekend was a very good one as it saw a significant surge in box office numbers. The success of this went hand-in-hand with word of mouth and interest among younger people.
| Box Office Detail | Performance |
| Budget | $750,000 |
| U.S. & Canada Gross | $263.5 Million |
| International Gross | $249.1 Million |
| Worldwide Gross | $512.6 Million |
| U.S. Opening | $17.2 Million |
| Commercial Response | Major Success |
Obsession Critical Response
Obsession was well received by critics and audiences. The film was noted for its dark humor and horror elements, with Inde Navarrette earning high praise for her role as Nikki.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has been praised by 327 critics, who reported a 93% positive rating, and a score of 8/10 on average. Critics gave the movie mixed reviews, with Metacritic rating it 77 out of 100 based on 38 reviews. The average score for audiences at the CinemaScore locations was A−.
| Platform | Score |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 93% |
| Rotten Tomatoes Average Rating | 8/10 |
| Metacritic | 77/100 |
| CinemaScore | A− |
| Critical Reception | Generally Favorable |
| Audience Response | Strong |
Navarrette was one of the stand out strengths of the film, as noted by several critics. The disturbing sound design, visual presentation and Barker’s talent for taking a familiar concept of a supernatural wish and turning it into a new horror story were all also cited as strengths.
Obsession Movie Recognize and reward
The film was nominated for a number of film festivals and awards. Obsession was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival and came in second place in the Midnight Madness category in the People’s Choice Awards.
The film went on to win the Special Jury Prize, SOFC Audience Award and Carnet Jove Award for Best Film at the Sitges Film Festival. Inde Navarrette was also nominated for the Golden Space Needle Award for Best Performance at the Seattle International Film Festival which she won.
Obsession won the award for Best Horror and Navarrette was the Best Actress at the Astra Midseason Movie Awards. The film also took home Best Horror Movie at the Critics’ Choice Super Awards, and Navarrette took home the Best Actress in a Horror Movie honors.
Conclusion
Obsession is a supernatural horror film that morphs the innocent wish of a man into a horrifying nightmare. The film, written, directed and edited by Curry Barker, is a horror film with elements of romance, dark comedy, violence and psychological tension and is about the repercussions of attempting to manipulate another individual’s emotions.
Michael Johnston stars as Bear while Inde Navarrette shines as Nikki. The supporting roles of Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter round out the main cast.
Obsession received a lot of critical praise, significant box office success, and won awards in various film festivals and also premiered on a streaming service. Its tale eventually offers a dark take on the concept that you may get exactly what you desire in some cases, but it is more frightening than if you do not get it whatsoever.
FAQs
A1. In Obsession, the story of Bear, a music store clerk who uses a supernatural toy to make his friend Nikki fall in love with him. Her passion quickly turns into a deadly obsession.
A2. Michael Johnston stars as Bear, the protagonist of the movie.
A3. In the movie, Bear’s friend, Nikki Freeman, is portrayed by Inde Navarrette.
A4. Obsession will open at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2025 and go theatrically in the U.S. on May 15, 2026.
A5. The film is about 109 minutes long.
