Obsession Officially Sets Netflix Release Date: November 17

Curry Barker’s horror hit Obsession comes to Netflix in the US on November 17. Netflix announced the date on October 18 with a post reading, “You wished for this,” per iHorror. Other territories may differ.

From Theaters to Streaming

The film opened in theaters on May 15 and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide, on a budget Barker has given as $750,000, according to iHorror. Parade reports it became Focus Features’ highest-grossing film ever. It moved to premium video on demand on June 30, to Peacock on July 17, and to disc on July 14.

Laid out in order, the film’s path looks like this: a theatrical release on May 15, premium video on demand on June 30, disc on July 14, Peacock on July 17 and now Netflix on November 17, roughly six months after it first reached cinemas. Each step brings the film to a different kind of viewer, from those who buy a ticket on opening weekend to those who simply wait for it to appear on a service they already subscribe to.

The Story and the Cast

Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette star as Bear and Nikki. Bear buys a toy called One Wish Willow and uses it to make someone love him.

That premise places the film in a long tradition of horror stories built around a wish that carries a price. The device is simple to explain, which has helped the film travel by word of mouth, and it keeps the focus on two central characters rather than a large ensemble. For viewers who have not yet seen the film, the Netflix release offers an easy way to find out how the wish plays out without paying for a rental.

Why Netflix Follows Peacock

The Netflix date follows a licensing deal in which Universal films go to Peacock, then Netflix, per Yahoo. Dread Central reports Netflix had earlier offered to take the film straight to streaming.

Focus Features is part of Universal, and Peacock is the streaming service of the same parent company, so the film’s early streaming run on Peacock was a natural first stop. The agreement that follows that run sends the film to Netflix, which has a much larger international subscriber base. The report that Netflix had initially offered to take the film directly to streaming makes the story more striking, since the film instead went on to a full theatrical run and then earned an even broader streaming audience than it might have had otherwise.

A Remarkable Return on a Small Budget

The gap between the film’s reported budget and its box office total is the central reason it has drawn so much attention. A gross of more than $500 million set against a budget of $750,000 means the film took in more than 600 times what it reportedly cost to make. Box office gross is not the same as profit, since theaters, distributors and marketing costs all take a share, but the scale of the difference is unusual for any film and especially for a horror release.

The result also reinforces a pattern that horror fans know well. The genre has often shown that a strong concept and a controlled budget can find a large audience, and Obsession now stands as one of the clearest recent examples. That success is also why its streaming dates have been followed so closely, since every new platform extends the audience of a film that has already surpassed expectations.

What Comes Next for Barker

Barker has not announced Obsession 2, though Navarrette has said she is on board. His next film, Anything but Ghosts, is set for May 7, 2027.

With Anything but Ghosts scheduled for early May 2027, almost a full year after the opening of Obsession, Barker has a clear next release to follow the first. A sequel has not been confirmed, but Navarrette’s comment suggests that the possibility remains open. In the meantime, the November 17 Netflix debut gives audiences another opportunity to discover the film that made his name, and it gives the film a fresh chance to reach viewers who missed it in theaters, on Peacock and on disc.