Indie thriller “Obsession” is undeniably one of the biggest box-office triumphs for 2026.
Terrified cinemagoers are fleeing theatres, unable to endure the entire film, while it’s still projected to rake in a staggering $US250 million ($355 million) from a micro-budget of just $US750,000 ($1.06 million).
Now, it’s making headlines again.
A crew member involved in the making of the horror film is sharing a hard truth about the production.
Art director, Sally Choi, has taken to social media complaining about how much she was paid for her involvement on the film directed, written and edited by 26-year-old YouTuber, Curry Barker.
“I’ve debated this for a long time. I’ve been holding a lot of weight over the past two years since the production of Obsession, so I’m going to say it as it is. Obssn (sic) was made for $750K and is projected to make $250M. How much I made: $300/day as Art Director. This came out to $6741.36 after taxes. No mileage,” she shared on Instagram.
“I did know the rate beforehand and agreed to it, but atp I was living paycheck to paycheck. This is the reality of most filmmakers especially those who work below the line. We become a line in the budget sheet to keep as low as possible.”
Choi continues her rant, admitting her role wasn’t limited to just art direction, and will forever regret not speaking up at the time.
“I kick myself every single day for not flipping this production. I was encouraged not to and I naively listened,” she added.
“As is the case for most low budget productions, everyone has to wear many, many hats. Though my official title is art director, I was also a PA, set dresser, graphic designer, background actor, driver, swing, and buyer. I was doing runs for the art dept (again, no mileage). I was shopping, loading, returning while the rest of the crew were on set.”
Choi shares that the stress during production took “physical toll” on her body and ends the post with a plea: “If you were a crew member on Obsession and feel called to share your rate, maybe we can turn a tide in the film industry.”
Choi’s post amassed over 3000 comments, and in an interesting turn, many roasted the crew member instead of siding with her.
“Man, what a choice. Sign on to a low budget indie. Agree to rate. Movie explodes. You’re suddenly the Art Director of the most talked about film of the year. If this ever happens to you, let me give one piece of advice. Embrace it. Use the credit to fight off offers, get a BTL agent, turn those difficult three weeks into an incredible career,” one person wrote on X.
“She should use OBSESSION to get better-paying jobs immediately, because that is usually how this business works. But everyone on that movie was gambling. The difference is the gamble actually paid off,” another agreed.
And another added: “You literally were the art director for the most TALKED ABOUT original film of 2026. You could leverage that and charge an extremely high rate on your next films and become so insanely rich and in demand. Instead, she chose to complain about a rate that he agreed to. This makes people in the industry think that you’re hard to work with.”
Obsession first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, where it began quietly building its terrifying reputation.
It follows the story of Bear (Michael Johnston), a timid music store clerk who uses a cursed antique novelty toy known as the “One Wish Willow” to make his childhood crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette), fall in love with him.
The wish is granted, but what follows is a slow, sinister unravelling of everything Bear thought he wanted.
Obsession is in cinemas now.