Hey, Cinemaniacs!
Derek here!
I’m obsessed with Obsession. I’m sitting here reading article after article about Curry Barker’s record-breaking film “Obsession” and I’m just in awe of how successful this movie is. It doesn’t surprise me that it is successful. I personally give the film a 9.3 or a 9.4 out of 10 but it just surprises me how many films are getting brought back into the cultural focus thanks to this film surpassing them.
Most recently, it took the top spot from “Enter The Dragon”, the American/Hong Kong production starring Bruce Lee, in the category of Highest Grossing Film With A Budget Below $1 Million. I’ve seen both and it really makes me think about how enduring a film can be when the core of it is so fantastic that it carries the rest of the production through any small issues it may have. In the case of “Enter The Dragon”, that core was really Bruce Lee and the film’s ability to weave his expertise in fighting with a story that is actually interesting and visuals that are surprising. In much the same way, “Obsession” is held up at its core by a strong story that doesn’t waste time trying to explain itself too much so that it can focus on an incredible performance by Inde Navarrette, of “Superman and Lois” fame, and visuals that only exist to serve the story. There’s nothing crazy about the film other than extremely talented people being allowed to shine.
Another fun distinction that “Obsession” has earned is Highest‑Grossing Festival Acquisition, a crown it took from Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” and previous entries like “Little Miss Sunshine” and the indy darling “The Blair Witch Project”. As with the last category, I am not at all shocked that “Obsession” ranks among these standouts. It seems like the exactly the type of movie that would gain traction from a film festival and quickly become a hot commodity because it doesn’t try to do too much. All of these films take simple themes and really explore them deeply rather than trying to be one-size-fits-all experiences that dazzle but have little backbone.
The last distinction that I think is really worth mentioning is an odd one, in my opinion, but tells a lot about the films within the category. “Obsession” is the first movie, since “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial” in 1982, to grow its audience from Week 1, through Week 2, and into Week 3. What this tells me is that this film has enough moments that are worth talking about, a premise that’s universal enough for anyone to relate to, and enough depth for people to be able to talk about it repeatedly. I know that I have talked with several people that have brought up the film to me and asked my thoughts on it and I genuinely can’t remember the last time this type of thing happened for a single film. People ask me all the time about movies when they stumble upon Hidden Movie Club or when they find out what movie we’re watching on any given week. (Speaking of, subscribe now while you’re here.)
But, normally, they’re all different movies… Normally, it depends on what streaming services the person subscribes to and whether I subscribe to the same ones. The past 3 weeks, though, it’s all been about “Obsession”. Now, I’m not the hugest fan of “E.T.” but I can see the appeal that it had in 1982 and it really set the stage for all the family-friendly 80’s and 90’s films that raised a few generations. “Obsession”, on the other hand, is a rated-R nightmare of a film that should have a limited audience but nails its premise so well (for the most part) that it’s driving the same type of organic discussion within a far smaller demographic yet still leading to the same level of reverence. A horror movie, fer chrissakes!
All in all, it’s been an incredible first few weeks for this film. We haven’t talked about it on the Hidden Movie Club livestreams yet but maybe we should? Leave us a comment if there are any other notable awards or distinctions that it’s achieved that you think are worthwhile to discuss. What other films have the same type of draw as “Obsession” for you? Do you think it deserves all the attention or is it over-hyped?
Thanks for reading! And remember… support the people that make the movies you love by buying the physical releases and watch them with friends, if you can. It takes a ton of people to make a film and we’re voting with our wallets every day. See on “Obsession” 4K release day!