News Film Horror Obsession

Obsession’s art director reveals shocking low pay and shares details of demanding set culture

'It took such a physical toll on my body that I kept losing weight'

Oreoluwa Adeyoola
5th June 2026, 12:55
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CurryBaker’s feature Obsession has made record-breaking box-office returns on a $750k budget, but a member of its crew is calling out the low salary she was paid.

Indie horror is so back. With a remarkably low budget, Obsession is projected to make at least $250m at the global box office, and has extended its theatrical run. But the film’s art director, @KiwiSupreez, credited as Sally Choi on IMDb, shared a statement on Instagram and TikTok about how much she is seeing of this success.

“I’ve debated this for a long time. I’ve been holding a lot of weight over the past two years since the production of Obsession, so I’m going to say it as it is,” she said.

“How much I made: $300/day as Art Director. This came out to $6741.36 after taxes. No mileage.”

She claimed: “I did know the rate beforehand and agreed to it, but at that point, I was living paycheck to paycheck. This is the reality of most filmmakers, especially those who work below the line. We become a line in the budget sheet to keep as low as possible.”

KiwiSupreez then goes on to allege that some people in the Obsession crew weren’t paid at all – a frustratingly common cost of indie filmmaking.

“There were also crew on Obsession who were volunteers, getting paid in gas and mileage. This wasn’t even paid on time, so to make a $250M grossing film, some of these amazing people had to come out of pocket to work on set,” she said.

“As is the case for most low-budget productions, everyone has to wear many, many hats. Though my official title is art director, I was also a PA, set dresser, graphic designer, background actor, driver, swing, and buyer. I was doing runs for the art dept (again, no mileage). I was shopping, loading, returning while the rest of the crew were on set (Thank you, Jeff Barker for helping me during those times).”

The art director also claimed she was responsible for wrapping multiple set locations, including Bear’s House, which she revealed left her in poor health.

“It took such a physical toll on my body that I kept losing weight, weighing 90lbs during this production.”

She concluded: “I say all this to finally have my peace. I know this is bigger than Obsession. I know this is even bigger than the film industry. If you feel called to have this discussion with me, please do so. I’m willing to be wrong bc I know I’m probably missing information and my perspective is just a drop in the bucket.”

Curry Barker hasn’t responded to these allegations.

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