Focus Features has released the first teaser trailer for writer/director Currie Barker’s upcoming Blumhouse horror film Obsession. There are no montages or jump scare reels, just one man making a phone call, regretting the wish he made, and looking for a way to tweak it. Watch the teaser above and read more below.
A wish that can’t be reversed
The teaser shows protagonist Bear (played by Michael Johnston) sitting alone behind the wheel at night, visibly rattled, waiting in a customer service line for a mysterious wish-granting product. He asks, almost apologetically, if there’s room for tweaking in the deal he made.
The other person’s voice is not interesting. “Sorry, but we don’t actually do that.”
Just as Bear tries to get to the heart of what’s troubling him, he gets stabbed. “Is her love real?” he asked, confirming that he had asked someone in particular to love him. The answer is not at all comforting. “Just because you chose this for her doesn’t make it any less real.”
There’s no other footage in the teaser, but it’s abundantly clear from this quick phone call that he needed to be clear about the kind of love he really wanted, and perhaps put some limits on where this love would lead her. The official images released by Focus features below show a bit of a bloody outcome for our guy.
From YouTube highlights to festival breaks
Obsession comes as a big step up for Curry Barker. His first feature, the 2024 horror film Milk & Serial, was released on YouTube (watch it here) and has already racked up more than 2 million views, making him one of the filmmakers who discovers horror fans online rather than in theaters. He also comes from shorts and has built a huge presence on social media.
Barker reportedly made Obsession for just $1 million, drawing intense industry interest on the festival circuit. Focus Features has signed a distribution deal said to be worth more than $15 million. This was a huge leap from the project’s shoestring budget, and a clear sign of confidence in what Barker delivered.
The film has already built a strong reputation at festivals in the genre, including a late-night slot at TIFF, a sold-out screening at Fantastic Fest, and the Sitges People’s Choice Awards. It currently has a score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cast, staff, and future developments
Written and directed by Barker, Obsession also stars Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless and Andy Richter. The production team is led by James Harris (Teeshop Productions), Haley Nicole Johnson (Under the Shell), Christian Mercury (Capstone Pictures), and Roman Vialis, with executive producers Jason Blum, Leonora Darby, Mark Lane, David Herring, and Rusanna Kegeyan leading the way behind the scenes.
Barker is already preparing his next film, Anything But Ghosts, which he is co-producing with Blumhouse and Spooky Pictures and will direct, co-write and star in alongside fellow filmmaker Cooper Tomlinson.
Obsession will be released in U.S. theaters on May 15, 2026, with Universal Pictures International handling worldwide release.
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