Obsession Runtime Uncovered: Should You Watch It Or Skip It?

Horror is having a year, but every so often a scrappy little movie elbows its way to the front. That has been 'Obsession': tiny budget, big chills, and the kind of word-of-mouth run studios keep trying (and failing) to manufacture. If you have been hearing the buzz and wondering what the deal is, here is the quick download: what it is, how long it runs, when you can watch at home, whether the hype is earned, and what the director is cooking up next.

The setup

'Obsession' is a psychological horror story about Bear, a shy record-store clerk who makes a wish that his longtime crush Nikki will love him. It works... at first. Then the fantasy curdles fast as Nikki's affection turns possessive, violent, and way past anything he asked for. Director Curry Barker steers clear of cheap jump scares and buckets of gore; the dread comes from something uglier and more familiar: trying to get love without risking rejection, and how that slides into control disguised as romance.

Quick hits

• Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes (108 minutes)
• Filmmaker: Writer-director Curry Barker
• Premise: A wish for love goes off the rails when Nikki's sudden devotion becomes obsessive and dangerous
• Box office: Has crossed $100 million worldwide on a reported ~$750,000 production budget
• Weekend legs: Roughly a 30% jump in its second weekend
• Cast: Leads Johnston and Navarrette; Cooper Tomlinson as Bear's friend/co-worker Ian; Megan Lawless as Nikki's friend Sarah Harper; Andy Richter in a darker supporting turn
• PVOD: June 2, 2026, on Apple TV and Fandango at Home
• Digital cut: Expected to include an unrated, uncensored version

So... is it actually good?

Short answer: yeah, the hype makes sense. The numbers are wild for a movie this small, but the craft is what sticks. Barker builds the kind of slow, suffocating tension that sneaks up on you and lingers after the credits. If you want nerve-scraping psychological horror without a gore bath, this earns a spot on the watchlist.

Sequel talk (and a bigger world)

No sequel is official yet, but Barker is already publicly toying with multiple paths back into this world, including a straight-up 'Obsession 2' and a series built around the story's mythology — specifically the mysterious One Wish Willow.

'I obviously have a couple more things that I’m excited about next, but I do see Obsession 2, maybe. Or even what really is exciting to me is maybe an anthology, like a one-hour episode,' Barker told Total Film.

He has also talked up a project titled 'Anything But Ghosts' that would expand the world introduced in 'Obsession'. Translation: there is more to mine here, and he knows it.

Bottom line: 'Obsession' is tight, unnerving, and very effective — the rare microbudget horror movie that earns its buzz and then some. If you miss it in theaters, the unrated digital cut lands June 2.