Unexpected Breakout Star of 2026, Obsession, Hits Streaming Services

With Obsession making headlines in 2026, let’s take a look at the climate of horror entertainment, the breakouts of the year, and how Obsession has broken records.

Popularity of Horror in Entertainment

Horror as a genre has seen a huge resurgence in popularity over recent years, with horror themes being a mainstay within different entertainment media. And we’re not just talking about TV and film. In iGaming, some of the best Vegas slots online are horror-themed, such as the steampunk-inspired Dreadworks, the vampiric Immortal Romance, and Ghost Slider, set in a haunted cemetery. Here, the variety of themes – from spooky to frightening – allows players to browse a wide range of slots, the broad appeal contributing to the popularity of this theme within online casinos.

Elsewhere, horror is seeing a resurgence within the music industry, with multiple sub-genres like extreme metal, horror punk, and dark hip-hop attracting a growing fanbase. Indeed, often deemed the brainchild behind heavy horror metal, the Melancholist alum Sven The Axe has recently made an unexpected comeback this year with Solemnity, after a long hiatus. The long-awaited Solemnity comeback album, Opus Barbaricum, is packed full of dark, animated horror vibes.

Turning our eyes back to film, horror flicks have had a great year at the box office, further evidencing the growing popularity of horror-themed entertainment.

Highest-Grossing Original Horror Film of the Last Decade

Two of the films to make headlines in 2026 are the low-budget hits Backrooms and Obsession. The sci-fi, psychological horror Backrooms is the directorial debut of Kane Parsons, adapted from the popular web series of the same name. Inspired by the Backrooms creepypasta, the film has grossed $331 million globally, making it the highest-grossing film for the independent distributor A24 Films. It also makes it the second-highest-grossing horror movie of 2026.

On the other hand, Obsession has more of a supernatural horror vibe and was written, directed, and edited by the YouTube comedian Curry Barker. Reportedly inspired by an episode of The Simpsons, the movie was shot with a minimal budget of $750,000. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, the distribution rights were purchased for the highest price in the festival’s history. It then made records again after theatrical release, grossing $376 million globally. This makes it Focus Features’ highest-grossing movie ever, the highest-grossing original horror film of the last decade, and the eighth highest-grossing film overall in 2026.

Obsession Hits Streaming Services

Obsession has once again hit the headlines recently, as this year’s unexpected breakout star has made its way to online streaming services. The movie is now available to rent or buy online through many streaming platforms, including Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube, and Google Play Movies, from around $19.99.

The film has been a hit with audiences and critics alike, marked as an A- on CinemaScore and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. With such positive criticism quite a rarity for horror films, especially, it’s likely that its streaming success will follow in the same footsteps as its box office record.