Story perspectives

Obsession launches rentals at $19.99, $371 M hit.

7/1/2026

Summary

Focus Features Releases

Focus Features released director Curry Barker’s horror film Obsession for purchase and rental on June 30, 2026.
Rental is $19.99 and purchase $24.99 on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, with a 19-minute bonus and commentary.
DVD, 4K UHD and Blu-ray versions will be available on July 14, 2026.
Obsession earned over $371 million, Focus Features’ highest-grossing film, and will stream on Peacock in mid-September 2026 and Amazon Prime Video in February 2027.

Summary

Curry Barker Triumph

The film “Obsession” turned a $750,000 budget into more than $371 million in worldwide box-office revenue.
Director Curry Barker, a 26-year-old YouTube creator, debuted with “Obsession,” which entered IMDb’s Top 250 at #249 shortly after release.
Prime Video offered purchase and rental on June 29, 2026, a day before the advertised June 30 launch.
Michael Johnston plays Bear, whose wish on a broken “One Wish Willow” to win Nikki (Inde Navarrette) turns dark.

Summary

Focus Acquires Obsession

Focus Features acquired “Obsession” for about $15 million after its Toronto International Film Festival premiere.
Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 94% critics’ score, ranking it among the year’s top horror releases.
Inde Navarrette listed her “Mount Rushmore” of horror movies in an interview, citing the titles that inspired her.
The cast also includes YouTube star Cooper Tomlinson, actress Megan Lawless and comedian Andy Richter.

Summary

Apple TV Re-rates

Apple TV listed Obsession as “Unrated” then changed it to an “R” rating on June 30, 2026, with a 1 hour 48 minute runtime matching the R version.
Director Curry Barker said an NC-17 cut with six-seven head-smash scenes screened at Toronto before being trimmed to an R rating.
A Forbes reporter found no visual differences between the Apple TV “Unrated” label and the R version, while Decider’s unanswered inquiry leaves a cut unconfirmed.

History

Historical Context

The Blair Witch Project (1999), co-directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, became a cultural touchstone for low-budget horror, illustrating how festival exposure can launch modest projects into major franchises; Curry Barker’s 2026 horror Obsession followed that path. Both films achieved significant commercial success, prompting studios to seek similar indie horror acquisitions.

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Focus Features Releases

Focus Features released director Curry Barker’s horror film Obsession for purchase and rental on June 30, 2026.
Rental is $19.99 and purchase $24.99 on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, with a 19-minute bonus and commentary.
DVD, 4K UHD and Blu-ray versions will be available on July 14, 2026.
Obsession earned over $371 million, Focus Features’ highest-grossing film, and will stream on Peacock in mid-September 2026 and Amazon Prime Video in February 2027.

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