@jameschangeslives: The box office story right now is absolutely wild. Two low-budget horror films directed by Gen Z creators who got their start on YouTube completely upended Hollywood, even outperforming massive legacy franchise films like Disney's The Mandalorian and Grogu. Both movies are proving that a great hook, viral word-of-mouth, and an understanding of internet culture can outperform a nine-figure studio budget. Here is a breakdown of how both films are shaking up the industry: The Backrooms The Director: Directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, who originally created the viral, hyper-realistic creepypasta YouTube series when he was just 16. Partnering with A24, Atomic Monster, and Chernin Entertainment, he has become the youngest director ever to have a No. 1 movie globally. The Vibe: A masterclass in "liminal space" found-footage horror. It expands on his yellow-walled, fluorescent-lit labyrinth lore into a terrifying, immersive theatrical experience that has drawn massive young crowds. Budget: $10 million Box Office / Profit So Far: It shattered studio records for A24, scoring an astonishing $118 million global opening weekend (about $81.5 million domestically). It is already on track to become one of the most profitable horror films of the decade relative to its budget. Obsession The Director: Directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker, who built his following making viral horror shorts on YouTube (under his channel that's a bad idea). The Vibe: A supernatural horror thriller starring Inde Navarrette as a young woman who becomes dangerously infatuated with a man after a magical wish is made for her affection. It’s a masterclass in tension, and its box office run has made history. Instead of dropping in its second and third weekends like 99% of modern movies, Obsession actually grew its audience each week through sheer, frantic word-of-mouth. Budget: Produced for less than $1 million (though Focus Features bought the distribution rights at TIFF for around $15 million). Box Office / Profit So Far: It has brought in over $109 million globally (over $140 million by some tracking estimates across its full 3-week run), making it an astronomical home run and Focus Features' highest-grossing domestic release of all time. Which one am I seeing this weekend?
JamesChangesLives
Region: US
Wednesday 03 June 2026 01:15:05 GMT
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JamesChangesLives :
Which one am I seeing this weekend?
Honestly, it's a double-feature situation, but The Backrooms is the absolute priority for Friday night. The sheer scale of what Kane Parsons built out of Blender animations and internet lore needs to be seen on a massive theater screen with an audience to get the full, unsettling atmosphere.
That said, you can't ignore the unprecedented momentum of Obsession either—any indie horror movie that defies the box office odds and grows in its third week demands to be watched just to see what the hype is about.
Are you planning to check out the liminal mind-bend of The Backrooms, or are you leaning toward the psychological tension of Obsession?
2026-06-03 01:52:08
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