Despite lacking the star power of mainstream A-listers or the backing of a huge marketing budget, Curry Barker’s feature directorial debut, Obsession, has been one for the record books. Not only did it become one of the rare horror titles to earn an A- CinemaScore while simultaneously emerging as one of the highest-rated movies of the year, but it also achieved the rare feat of registering a second-weekend box office increase.
Obsession amassed $22.4 million during its three-day second weekend, marking roughly a 30% increase from its opening frame (via Variety). To put into perspective just how insane that feat is, only 10 movies prior to Obsession had managed to witness a second-weekend increase in the 21st century when it comes to movies that got a nationwide release.
Obsession Has Been the Breakout Story of 2026’s Summer
2026 has been an impeccable year for the box office so far, as after a strong Q1, which saw hits like Project Hail Mary and Wuthering Heights leading the charge, the summer is also off to a great start, thanks to Devil Wears Prada 2, Michael, etc.
Obsession, however, takes the cake as the biggest surprise of the summer, and arguably the entire year, as very few anticipated it doing such massive numbers. While there was admittedly some buzz surrounding the movie, especially given the growing success of Curry Barker’s previous projects, it has largely been pure word of mouth that has propelled the movie to these heights.
The fact that an indie horror movie made on a reported budget of just $1 million is now on track to become one of the most profitable movies of the year is a testament to its quality, which has clearly resonated with both general audiences and critics alike. Hopefully, the movie also gets its due once awards season arrives, as even though it carries the disadvantage of releasing months ahead of the awards season, given Focus Features’ track record with campaigning, you can never fully count it out.
Every 21st Century Movie That Pulled Off This Rare Box Office Feat
A still from The Greatest Showman | Credit: 20th Century Studios
Now coming to the 21st century titles that ended up pulling the rare feat of registering a box office increase heading into their second weekend, The Greatest Showman sits at the top, as it witnessed a whopping 76% spike in its second weekend.
Other movies include the likes of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Sing, Night at the Museum, etc. It’s also important to note that this list comprises movies that had a wide release as opposed to a limited one.
Here’s an overview of all the 21st-century movies that witnessed a surge in their second week:
MovieOpening WeekendFollow-Up WeekendIncrease (%)The Greatest Showman$8.8 million$15.5 million+76.3Cheaper by the Dozen 2$9.3 million$14.4 million+55.6We Bought a Zoo$9.3 million$13.2 million+41.4Sound of Freedom$19.6 million$27.2 million+39.0Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle$36.1 million$50 million+38.4Puss in Boots: The Last Wish$12.4 million$16.8 million+35.3Mother’s Day$8.3 million$11 million+32.5Obsession$17.2 million$22.4 million+30.2The Wild Thornberrys Movie$6 million$7.3 million+22.5Sing$35.2 million$42.8 million+21.7Night at the Museum$30. 4 million$36.7 million+20.8
Considering most of these movies are either musicals or family dramas, this makes Obsession’s feat all the more impressive, as it’s the only horror movie of this century to register a second-weekend increase.
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Obsession is currently playing in theaters.
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