An indie horror film from a 26-year-old YouTuber is turning heads in Hollywood after posting rare box office growth in its third weekend. Obsession, directed by Curry Barker, opened on May 15 and has increased its earnings each weekend since release, a pattern that runs against normal industry trends.
The film has now pulled in $121.8 million domestically and $166.6 million worldwide. And could pass $250 million before leaving theaters. That kind of performance would be notable for any release. For a film made on a budget between $750,000 and $1 million, it stands out as a major outlier.
Using the lower estimate, Obsession could generate more than 300 times its production budget. By comparison, James Cameron’s Avatar, which remains the highest-grossing film of all time at $2.92 billion, earned about 12 times its $237 million budget. While Avatar delivered larger total profits, its return on investment does not come close to matching the scale seen with Obsession.
The film still trails some of the most extreme success stories in low-budget horror. The Blair Witch Project earned roughly $248.6 million on a $200,000 budget, delivering over 1,200 times its cost. Paranormal Activity, which ultimately cost about $215,000 brought in $193.35 million, reaching nearly 900 times its budget.
Obsession is not alone in this trend. Another YouTuber-directed horror film, Backrooms from Kane Parsons, opened last weekend and has already made $103.8 million domestically and $140.4 million worldwide on a $10 million budget. Both films have easily cleared the industry’s typical break-even threshold, which often requires two to two and a half times a film’s budget once marketing costs are included and the box office receipts being split with the theaters.
That stands in contrast to Disney’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, which carries a reported $165 million production budget. The film has earned $246 million worldwide so far, but it may still fall short of profitability. Its second weekend saw a steep 70 percent drop, and momentum is already fading fast, further raising concerns about its long-term performance.
These numbers point to a broader shift in the industry. Studios have spent years betting on large franchise films tied to established intellectual property. Now, smaller horror projects with original ideas and lower budgets are delivering stronger returns with far less risk. Recent releases like Sinners and Weapons have also posted strong results, with Weapons earning $270 million worldwide on a $38 million budget.
Hollywood has always followed the money. Right now, this data suggests audiences are showing up for fresh ideas over tired and familiar brands, and younger creators are stepping in to meet that demand. Just look at how Masters of the Universe is underperforming.
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English (US) · 