| Obsession | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Curry Barker |
| Written by | Curry Barker |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Taylor Clemons |
| Edited by | Curry Barker |
| Music by | Rock Burwell |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 108 minutes [1] |
| Country | United States [1] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1 million [2] |
Obsession is a 2025 American horror film written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker. Its story follows Bear (played by Michael Johnston), a music store employee who buys a supernatural toy and wishes for his childhood friend Nikki (Inde Navarrette) to fall in love with him. [3] Cooper Tomlinson and Megan Lawless also appear in supporting roles. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival as part of its Midnight Madness block.
Curry Barker was initially inspired to write the film while watching an episode of The Simpsons where "Bart [Simpson] gets a monkey paw and causes a bunch of chaos". [5] In 2023, Barker wrote and directed the found footage horror short film The Chair and uploaded it to YouTube. [2] Film producer James Harris of Tea Shop Productions was impressed by the film and reached out to Barker to adapt it into a feature, but Barker pitched him Obsession instead. [6] The film also led to him being signed by William Morris Endeavor and receiving an offer to direct a feature film with a $1 million budget. [2]
It ultimately took over eight months for Barker to complete the screenplay while working with the film's production companies. [5] In addition to Harris and Tea Shop Productions, the film was produced by Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri, Roman Viaris, and Mark Lane, with Under the Shell and Capstone Studios also serving as production companies. [1]
In August 2024, casting was underway with principal photography expected to begin that October. [5] After auditioning numerous people, Inde Navarrette was cast as Barker felt that she "nailed" a balance between crazy and scary. After a chemistry read with Navarrette, Michael Johnston was cast as Bear. [6] Production designer Vivian Gray remodeled a house in Burbank, California to serve as the main character Bear's home. [4] Taylor Clemons served as the director of photography, who Barker worked with to "shoot [the film] center-composed and have extra head space because [he] wanted it to feel uncomfortable in its loneliness". [4]
By March 2025, Obsession was in post-production with Barker also serving as editor. [6] [7] Rock Burwell composed the film's score. [1]
Obsession premiered during the Midnight Madness block at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2025. [4] Two days later, Focus Features had reportedly entered exclusive talks to acquire distribution rights to the film in the U.S. and multiple international territories for over $15 million. [8]
| Award / Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto International Film Festival | 14 September 2025 | People's Choice Award, Midnight Madness | Obsession | Runner-up | [9] |
| Sitges Film Festival | 19 October 2025 | Best Feature Film | Pending | [10] |