5 Lessons from the Indie Hit 'Obsession'

What the supernatural horror hit can teach us about creativity, risk-taking, and indie filmmaking done right.

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June 6, 2026 12:00pm EDT

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5 SCREENWRITING LESSONS FROM 'OBSESSION'

You’ve probably heard the buzz around one of the country’s biggest indie movies right now, Obsession, a horror film that has frightened and surprised audiences, to the tune of $68 million at the worldwide box office.

The film’s writer/director/editor, Curry Barker, started his career on YouTube sketch comedy before making the microbudget found-footage horror Milk & Serial, which went viral in 2024. Obsession premiered in the Midnight Madness section at TIFF in September 2025, where it was runner-up for the People's Choice Award. Focus Features acquired it for a reported $14 million. The film was made for around $1 million.

Barker has already wrapped his next feature, Anything But Ghosts, for Blumhouse/Focus Features, and is set to write and direct a reimagining of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre for A24.

If you haven’t already checked out our interview with Barker about the film, you should definitely do that. There are additional lessons we can take away from the film itself—beware the spoilers ahead, but there's lots of scary-good advice, too.

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5 Lessons from the Indie Hit 'Obsession'

What the supernatural horror hit can teach us about creativity, risk-taking, and indie filmmaking done right.

5 SCREENWRITING LESSONS FROM 'OBSESSION'

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