NBA superstar and team ‘wind down’ with Alabama director’s horror hit before Finals
"Obsession" is a cultural and box-office success that has become one of the most profitable films ever made.
Mason Reed 
How does a professional basketball team decompress after a grueling seven-game series? If you are the San Antonio Spurs, you head to the movies to catch the cultural phenomenon that is “Obsession,” the hit horror film from Alabama filmmaker Curry Barker.
A Championship Run and a Horror Hit
The young Spurs squad, anchored by Victor Wembanyama, secured their spot in the NBA Finals after a dramatic Game 7 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It marks the first time in over a decade that the franchise has reached the championship round, where they are slated to clash with the New York Knicks.
Ahead of tonight's series opener at 7:30 p.m. CST on ABC, Wembanyama opted for a unique team-building exercise. According to reporting by Michael Wright, the 22-year-old star treated his teammates to a screening of Barker’s horror breakout, “Obsession.” While the film’s chilling atmosphere is a far cry from a traditional pre-game relaxation routine, it mirrors the unorthodox trajectory of both the Spurs and the 26-year-old director, both of whom have reached professional heights at a blistering pace.
From Mobile to the Box Office
Barker, a native of Mobile, has turned the film industry on its head. Produced for a budget of under $1 million, “Obsession” has surged to over $100 million in domestic earnings in just three weeks. The movie has defied standard box office trends, even achieving the “unthinkable” by growing its ticket sales by 40 percent in its second week.
The film’s meteoric rise—fueled by intense word-of-mouth and social media buzz—has drawn comparisons to titans of the horror genre like Jordan Peele and Ari Aster. Barker previously shared with 205focus.com that he is humbled by the reception.
“I didn’t set out to make the greatest horror movie of 2026 or whatever people are calling it,” Barker said. “I just wanted to make a decent movie that I would be excited to watch in the theater.”
