'Obsession' turns $750K budget into $224M global hit, becoming Focus Features' all-time top grosser

A low-budget horror film made by a 20-something YouTuber-turned-director has earned nearly 300 times its production cost, becoming one of the biggest box office surprises in recent memory.

"Obsession," directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker, has grossed $224.7 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in the history of Focus Features, the American independent and art-house distributor, according to Deadline and other outlets on Sunday.

Barker, a former YouTube creator, made the psychological horror film on a budget of just $750,000 (about 1.14 billion won). The film puts a modern spin on the classic cautionary premise of "be careful what you wish for," following a protagonist who turns to supernatural forces in an attempt to win the affection of Niki, a coworker he has long admired from afar.

Despite its shoestring budget, the film has drawn strong praise from both audiences and critics. It earned an "A-" CinemaScore and a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Digital Spy called it "outstanding" and named it one of the best films of the year.

Audience word of mouth has been equally enthusiastic. Viewers have described it as "creatively bizarre, sometimes dark and funny," said they "couldn't let go of the tension from start to finish," and called it the most shocking and frightening film they had ever seen — reactions that have continued to fuel its momentum.

Riding that buzz, the film has shown an unusual pattern since its May 15 opening: attendance has grown rather than declined as weeks have passed. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, who has tracked the box office for more than 30 years, called it "truly unprecedented" and said he could not recall another film seeing such a surge in its second week of release.

"Obsession" has drawn crowds even on typically slow weekdays, grossing $25.6 million domestically in its fourth weekend. It added another $17.7 million from international markets, bringing its total for the frame to $43.8 million across 6,825 screens in 57 territories. Its cumulative domestic gross stands at $152.1 million, with $72.6 million from overseas.

Variety projects the film will rank among the most profitable releases of the year. Lisa Bunnell, Focus Features' president of distribution, noted the film has achieved its strong run without IMAX or other high-priced premium formats. "It's outperforming all of its competition," she said.