This weekend’s box office may be tempting you to check your calendar (and your thermostat). Because, at a time of year when we’re typically settling in for the year’s biggest superhero flicks and summer blockbusters, it’s two horror movies that are dominating the domestic box office. Kane Parsons’ Backrooms and Curry Barker’s Obsession aren’t just any horror flicks, either — they’re low-budget films directed by YouTube stars, and this weekend they broke records while putting The Mandalorian and Grogu to shame.
Backrooms premiered on the 2026 movie schedule to $81.5 million — light years ahead of projections. (honestly, don’t even look at the number I reported last week). Meanwhile, Obsession saw another unprecedented increase in audience in its third weekend.
