Curry Barker’s film Obsession has been the highest-grossing horror movie of the year (so far), smashing several box office records for distributor Focus Features. Shot for under $1 million, it raked in $519 million at the global box office. But this film could have taken a very different route in terms of distribution.
In September 2025, Obsession screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was an instant smash with several large distributors vying for the rights, including A24, NEON, and Netflix.
“So many questions were being thrown around,” Barker explained on the Q With Tom Power podcast. “I think Netflix was in the conversation at one point. They put in an offer to just put it straight on Netflix. All of these conversations started.” Barker says he even debated putting it up for free on YouTube, as he did with Milk & Serial.
“I called my manager,” he adds. “He’s like, ‘Dude, everybody’s putting in a bid for this thing.’ At this time, I’m still thinking maybe small theatrical release. Maybe they just want to acquire it; and also, as a director, I’m thinking, I’m scared of, ‘Are they going to want to change my movie? Are they going to want to take out certain parts that I like?’”
Digital Vs. Theatrical
All this begs the question: would Obsession have been nearly as successful on streaming? While films found on streaming can certainly go viral. Barker’s Milk & Serial being up for free on YouTube absolutely helped it gain traction that it may not have gotten via more traditional distribution channels. While streaming may seem like the best, low-cost distribution option for the indie filmmaker, it isn’t always best.
Theoretically, Netflix was giving Barker the opportunity to be on every one of their subscriber’s TVs. Which sounds like a great offer for someone with a film made outside of the studio system. But here is the thing: Netflix isn’t known for its horror selection. So it’s not really where fans go to look for new releases. The other big issue is that a huge part of Obsession’s success is that Gen Z is going to the theater more.
With seemingly endless streaming options at their fingertips, we’ve seen a push back to more communal ways to view art, like going to the theater. Alongside a resurgence of demand for physical media. Pulling back to what some were considering “outdated” distribution channels. With the latter probably being a result of the rampant censorship the independent films face on streaming. A concern Barker also alluded to, because despite initially making ballsy choices like streaming Lilya 4-ever, Netflix has become increasingly homogeneous in terms of content and censorship.
Streaming has absolutely lowered the barriers to entry for smaller budget films. But it isn’t always the one-size-fits-all option it is often touted as.
You can watch Barker’s interview below:
