How Obsession is Changing Hollywood's Playlist

I don't usually walk out of a movie thinking about licensing deals. When I left Obsession, though, that was one of the first things on my mind. Not because the soundtrack was flashy or full of radio hits. Quite the opposite, actually. It was surprisingly restrained. Hearing artists like Current Joys and Felly woven into scenes instead of another overplayed radio hit reminded me of something the internet has picked up on as of late: the people making movies are changing.

For a long time, it felt like there was a pretty standard formula for movie soundtracks. You either shelled out millions for a household name or dug into the same handful of classic songs everyone already associated with cinema. It became cliche and predictable, but granted, people aren't typically at the movies for the soundtrack.

Now we're watching a generation of directors who grew up on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and the internet as a whole. They found music the same way the rest of us did: some random recommendation at two in the morning, a forgotten SoundCloud playlist, or hours spent digging through Spotify recommendations because one song accidentally changed your life.

When your music taste develops that way, Current Joys isn't some obscure indie act. They're just part of your musical vocabulary. That's why Obsession feels different to me. It isn't trying to convince audiences these artists are cool. It just assumes they belong there.

That's because they do.

I've always believed indie music succeeds because it carries a certain honesty that bigger productions often struggle to recreate. There's something imperfect about it. The vocals aren't polished beyond recognition. The guitars still buzz. Songs leave empty space instead of trying to fill every second with noise. When horror - or really any emotionally driven film - leans into that atmosphere, it can feel far more personal than dropping in another chart-topping single everyone has heard a thousand times. It made the characters feel more modern and relatable.

It's great, too, because the exposure these placements create is enormous. While an artist like Current Joys had already seemed to find his place in the algorithm, having your music suddenly attached to one of the most talked-about horror movies of the year undoubtedly does wonders for your numbers. Overnight, thousands of people who never searched your name are adding your songs to playlists because of one perfectly timed scene.

I've found some very interesting songs through film soundtracks. I'd imagine plenty of people have. You hear thirty seconds of a song during a scene that sticks with you, pull out your phone for a nonchalant Shazam, and you've suddenly discovered an artist you'll spend weeks listening to.

What's exciting about this whole thing isn't just Obsession. It's what it might represent. Its director, Curry Barker, comes from internet culture. That's becoming less unusual every year as filmmakers with online backgrounds break into mainstream studios. Take Kane Parsons with Backrooms, for example - someone with a very similar background. YouTube creator turned director.

And if that's the next wave of directors, I have a feeling this is the start of a very promising music trend that will come with them. Because they're not pulling songs from decades-old studio playlists. They're pulling them from the same playlists they made in high school.

Maybe that's why the soundtrack resonated with me so much. It didn't feel like someone in a boardroom trying to manufacture authenticity. It felt wholeheartedly authentic, meshing perfectly with every scene it accompanied.

I hope it keeps happening - not just because I want to hear more Current Joys in theaters, but because every time an indie artist finds their way into a film like this, it chips away at the idea that independent music must stay in its own little corner of the internet.

Maybe the next generation of directors doesn't see that corner at all.