The Vault Dossier · No. 1 · November 2026
The Wish: how Obsession went from a coffee-shop script to a $525 million horror phenomenon
A 26-year-old YouTube comedian, a $750,000 budget, 26 days in the San Fernando Valley and the first horror film in decades to grow at the box office three weekends running. The full story, sourced.
By the Horror Planet editors · about 9 minutes · Obsession film page
The wish
Every horror fan knows the rule. Be careful what you wish for. Obsession takes that rule and makes it personal. Bear, played by Michael Johnston, is in love with his friend Nikki, played by Inde Navarrette. He never says it. Instead he buys a cheap novelty toy called the One Wish Willow, snaps it in half and wishes she would love him. She does. Completely, instantly and in a way that gets worse every hour.
That's the whole premise, and it was enough to carry a film made for at most $750,000 (Northeast Times) to about $525 million worldwide, the fifth-biggest horror film ever made (Wikipedia). Its director, Curry Barker, was 26 when it opened (Peacock).
Few debuts have rewritten the rules this fast. This is the first Vault Dossier, so it felt right to start with the biggest horror story of the year. Here's how it actually happened, from a coffee-shop script to the record books.
Curry Barker did not come up through horror. He came up through sketch comedy, building an audience on YouTube with Cooper Tomlinson as the duo That's a Bad Idea...
Members only
Keep reading the full Dossier
Night Shift members get the whole story: seven more chapters, every record sourced, and a watch list for the month. A new Dossier every month, plus early access to new spotlights. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Sign in
Collector's Circle
Collector's file: what to own from Obsession
The score on vinyl, the disc editions worth keeping sealed, the Willow as a collectible and the festival paper that tells the origin story. Circle members also get first access to Horror Planet collector drops.
