Why RGV believes Obsession is a masterclass for filmmakers: ‘No big stars, no heavy VFX’

Ram Gopal Varma reviews global horror sensation Obsession. (Credit: IMDb)

Besides becoming one of the most successful movies of the year worldwide, earning over 230 times its budget, director Curry Barker’s American supernatural psychological horror film Obsession is also garnering significant praise from both audiences and industry insiders alike.

Starring Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, and Cooper Tomlinson in lead roles, Obsession has found a new fan in India, and that’s none other than veteran filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who recently admitted to being obsessed with the movie.

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RGV obsessed with Obsession

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, June 7, Varma, widely recognised as one of the most influential filmmakers in Indian cinema since the 1990s, praised Obsession, noting that it has taught filmmakers worldwide that massive stars, hefty budgets, or heavy visual effects (VFX) aren’t necessary for a film to impress audiences. He also commended the movie’s technical aspects, particularly the editing and sound effects, for offering an immersive experience.

“I am obsessed with Obsession! Till a few weeks back, the whole industry believed that only movies with big stars, massive budgets, and VFX spectacles would pull audiences into theatres. Now, Obsession has reset that button. It has no big stars, no grand locations, no lavish production design, no top technicians, and was not shot in foreign locations,” he wrote in a lengthy post.

Obsession budget and box office collection

Mounted on a modest budget of $7,50,000 (approximately Rs 7.12 crore), according to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie has become a worldwide sensation, grossing $178.78 million (approximately Rs 1,697.51 crore) globally, as per Box Office Mojo.

The movie has so far grossed Rs 34.15 crore in India alone, according to industry tracker Sacnilk. After minting Rs 6.75 crore on Saturday, June 6, its total India nett collection stands at Rs 28.60 crore.

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RGV questions Obsession’s reported Rs 7 crore budget

Ram Gopal Varma, however, contradicted reports about Obsession’s budget, stating that he doesn’t believe its production cost would have exceeded Rs 70 lakh. “Contrary to its reported budget of Rs 7 crore, it’s easy to see that its pure making cost cannot be more than Rs 70 lakh minus technical fees, considering it’s entirely shot in exactly three locations (two rooms in a modest house, interior of a car and the interior of a small store),” he noted.

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Commending director Curry Barker for the movie’s visual grammar, Varma stated, “The director’s style is visually simplistic but very unique. I was especially struck by his use of too much headspace in many shots, which strangely enhances the mood.”

RGV analyses Curry Barker’s editing style

“He treats editing not just as a technical craft, but as a psychological weapon, blending rapid cuts with especially lengthy stays (case in point is long stay on Nikki’s face in interval shot). These long takes build unbearable tension because the audience is trapped in the character’s perspective with no escape. His cutting of sharp sound effects (a door slam, a sudden laugh, and a heartbeat) to create rhythmic punctuation is awe-inspiring.” For the unversed, Barker himself penned and edited Obsession.

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“Barker’s editing philosophy seems to be: ‘make the audience feel what the character feels, which is being unstable.’ He throws out traditional editing rules (smooth continuity and clear emotional beats) in favour of something extremely anarchic. The result is a film that feels unpredictable and alive, as if the editing itself were part of the horror.”

The psychological theory behind the global phenomenon

Ram Gopal Varma concluded, “He mostly used single-source lighting and lit up spaces rather than individual shots, very much like David Fincher, but much more effectively, earning more than $179 million so far with a less than $1 million budget. What needs to be even more studied are the pathbreaking editing and sound design techniques, and not to forget character design.”

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In another post on X, Varma noted, “My theory on the tremendous success of Obsession is that every woman has a little bit of Nikki in her, which she too knows. And every man sees a little bit of Nikki in his woman; hence the connect.”