Former YouTuber Curry Barker turns a shy man’s spellbound romantic wish into a nightmare, tapping the anxieties of modern relationships in a low-budget horror hit everyone is talking aboutInvesting in an intellectual property-based blockbuster requires a minimum budget of $150 million, and can yield huge profits or massive losses. By contrast, Blumhouse, the studio specializing in horror, takes a risk-spreading approach. Most of the studio’s productions cost in the low double-digit millions. Even when the films do not generate impressive profits, they usually do not lose money, and every so often one of them breaks out and earns many times its production budget.That is what happened with “Obsession,” Curry Barker’s second film. It cost less than $1 million to make, and after its second weekend in U.S. theaters, it had already earned 74 times its production budget. Even more impressively and rarely, its revenues rose by about 30% from the first weekend to the second, indicating positive word of mouth among viewers who encouraged their friends to come to the theater. Those viewers, one may assume, belong overwhelmingly to Gen Z. “Obsession” is a horror film built around an idea and theme that will seem innovative and relevant mainly to teenagers.The use of love magic, or of a wish that goes wrong, has had many versions since the dawn of Western culture. In the third century B.C., Eros’ arrow caused the sorceress Medea to fall in love with Jason, and that marriage did not end well. In the 12th century came the romantic tragedy of Tristan and Isolde, who fall in love after drinking a love potion. In contemporary culture, there are the effects of Amortentia in the “Harry Potter” books. And what about wishes that turn against those who make them? The motif of “The Monkey’s Paw” — a magical talisman that grants wishes, but does so in an ironic and devilish way — appeared in W.W. Jacobs’ 1902 short story. That idea, too, has had many incarnations, including a variation on the motif in Osgood Perkins’ 2025 film “The Monkey.” In short, it is hard to say that “Obsession” is blazing any new trails.3 View gallery From 'Obsession' (Photo: Courtesy of Tulip Entertainment)As a substitute for originality, the film offers an extreme version of the emotional upheavals familiar from adolescence. Its protagonist is Baron “Bear” Bailey, played by Michael Johnston, a shy, sensitive and hesitant young man who is in love with Nikki Freeman, played by Inde Navarrette. He has known her since childhood and admires the combination of empathy and coolness she embodies. In the opening scene, he rehearses the lines he will say to Nikki when he finally tells her how he feels. Sitting opposite him is Sarah, played by Megan Lawless, a close friend who, in a not-so-hidden secret, is herself in love with Baron. On the side is Ian, played by Cooper Tomlinson, another of Baron’s friends, who offers his opinion on the sincere words of the lovestruck young man. Sarah is moved almost to tears, while Ian tries to recommend a different tactic: be a little mean to Nikki to shake up their “friend zone” routine.All four characters work together in a musical instrument store owned by Sarah’s father, played by Andy Richter, Conan O’Brien’s forgotten sidekick. At night they meet up, whether for trivia games or drinks as a foursome. But as young people with dreams, at least the girls have dreams, this arrangement will not last much longer. Nikki wants to become a writer, and Sarah is trying to get into a prestigious tattoo school. Baron’s time seems to be running out. Nikki has announced that she is leaving the store and has two more weeks left. This is the forced window of time that pushes Baron to act.3 View gallery From 'Obsession' (Photo: Courtesy of Tulip Entertainment)When Nikki loses her crystal necklace, Baron sees an opportunity for a romantic gesture. He goes to a store selling trinkets to buy her a necklace, but leaves with a different gift: One Wish Willow, a willow branch that is promised to grant one wish when broken. When Baron drives Nikki home that evening, they have a conversation in which she asks him directly whether he has feelings for her. He hesitates, and the moment slips away. Alone in the car, he breaks the willow branch in frustration and makes a wish: that Nikki will love him more than anyone else in the world.The escalation that begins from that moment is easy to guess. In fact, the film’s trailer reveals quite a lot of it. What begins as an immediate change in Nikki’s behavior toward him initially seems like the fulfillment of Baron’s dream. True, there are a few strange glitches in her behavior, but they can still be ignored. Very quickly, things move into far less pleasant territory. Nikki’s strange and horrifying actions are followed by apologies that sound sincere, only for another burst of madness to hit him in the face. It is a pattern familiar to anyone who has ever been in an intimate relationship with an emotionally unstable person, only with more extreme elements of dependence and jealousy, radical mood swings, cooking things that should not be cooked, questionable personal hygiene and aggressive attempts to prevent any possibility of distance.3 View gallery From 'Obsession' (Photo: Courtesy of Tulip Entertainment)“Obsession” does not rush to push its plot toward the fairly predictable climax, but the consensus among U.S. critics was rather positive. To my mind, the film is made well enough for its target audience, despite its difficulty justifying its full 109-minute running time. The two lead actors do good work, especially Navarrette as Nikki, who must repeatedly shift in the blink of an eye from a pleasant, appealing figure to the last person you would want to be in the same room with. It is reasonable to assume the film will advance her professionally.Writer-director Curry Barker, 26, began his career with short films, both horror and comedy, that he uploaded to YouTube. “Obsession” is his second feature after “Milk & Serial” (2024), a horror film made on a budget of $800 and in which he also acted. “Obsession” is the second horror film opening this week in Israel made by a retired YouTuber; the other is “Backrooms” by 20-year-old Kane Parsons. This is a trend that began in 2013 with David F. Sandberg (“Lights Out”) and Dan Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane”), and continued with the Philippou brothers (“Talk to Me,” 2022).In the United States, “Iron Lung,” a horror film directed by the YouTuber Markiplier, was also released earlier this year, and more YouTubers are on their way to their first features. YouTube’s role as the main breeding ground for new horror directors has long since moved beyond the level of a curiosity. These creators arrive in filmmaking with reputations they built on YouTube and a proven ability to engage with the fears preoccupying their target audience. Even when the film is not brilliant, as in the case of “Obsession,” it is easy to understand how it could become a success among viewers of the right age.