'Backrooms' and 'Obsession' at the top: How horror films directed by YouTubers dominated the box office

Renate Reinsve in a scene from 'Backrooms: A Non-Place', and Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette in a scene from 'Obsession'
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"Backrooms: A Non-Place" and "Obsession" dominated the American and, to a certain extent, Brazilian box office this weekend - and, with that, marked the peak of the phenomenon of the success of modest-budget horror films directed by youtubers.
At age 20, YouTuber directs two Oscar nominees in horror he created at 16
g1 has already seen: 'Backrooms' transforms online urban legend into thought-provoking horror until it gets lost in the end
With more than US$ 80 million (around R$ 403 million) raised between Friday (29) and Sunday (31), "Backrooms" far exceeded the boldest predictions of experts, who estimated values between US$40 million and US$50 million.
In the process, he also broke the record for the highest-grossing debut of his studio, A24, the hottest among independents. The previous mark was "Civil War" (2024), with US$25.5 million.
The film is directed by Kane Parsons, a 20-year-old filmmaker who launched the horror series that gave rise to the film on YouTube in 2022, with an estimated budget of US$10 million. Worldwide, it grossed US$ 118 million.
Inspired by an internet urban legend and a cast led by Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave") and Renate Reinsve ("Sentimental Value"), the work portrays the unsettling exploration of an extradimensional space formed by rooms with corporate decor. its third weekend in theaters, enough to surpass "The Mandalorian and Grogu", which opened later.
With a budget of less than US$1 million, the film became one of the biggest box office sensations of 2026 as it managed to increase its audience week by week - something rare in the industry. In total, it has already raised US$ 148 million around the world.
Directed by Curry Baker, "Obsession" is a tale about what happens when a young man has his wish fulfilled and becomes the target of his crush's uncontrollable passion.
Watch the trailer for 'Backrooms: A Non-Place'
From YouTube to the world
Brazil is no exception to the trend. Here, "Backrooms" debuted with just under R$9.5 million, the highest grossing this weekend.
"Obsessão" did not repeat the gigantic success in the USA, but it has also grown week by week. After raising R$2.2 million between the 14th and 17th of May, three weeks after its debut it made another R$2.4 million.
The two films are part of the great current trend in Hollywood, which has started to see YouTube as a great source of talent for directing in recent years.
Among the filmmakers who have made the transition are names like David F. Sandberg ("Shazam!"), Danny and Michael Philippou ("Talk to Me") and Mark Fischbach ("Iron lung: Ocean of Blood").
The case of Markiplier, as he is also known, is a little different. After all, the creator financed and distributed - and directed, co-wrote, and starred in - the film out of his own pocket. A risky bet, but one that netted him US$50 million at the beginning of 2026.
"I think it's more chance than anything else," says Parsons, in an interview with g1.
"There isn't a job for everyone who wants to do something in Hollywood, so if you want to get a deal with a more well-known studio, or distribute a film, it's not like you can just snap your fingers."
For young people, the platform serves as an entry point, where creators can dedicate themselves to their own projects and get the attention of big media companies.
"It probably has less to do with YouTube itself. The fact is that everyone is on the internet and, if you want to be seen, you have to put your stuff online."
Kane Parsons talks to Chiwetel Ejiofor at the recording of 'Backrooms: A Non-Place'
Asterios Moutsokapas/A24 via AP
How did this happen?
Horror in general has undergone a reinvention in the American industry, thanks to low budgets and production companies that know how to develop the genre.
One of them, for example, it is Atomic Monster, by director James Wan, who was involved in "Backrooms" from the beginning and who already had experience with YouTubers after "The Lights Out" (2016).
Responsible for franchises such as "The Conjuring" and "M3gan", the company merged in 2022 with Blumhouse Productions, another horror veteran.
In the same year, the success of works such as the Australian "Talk to Me" encouraged the industry to look again at the video platform. After all, the Philippou brothers became known there with comedic horror videos before debuting as filmmakers, and raised US$92 million around the world with an estimated budget of US$4.5 million.
So much so that Parsons was "flooded" with contacts for a possible theatrical adaptation in 2022, just a few months after releasing the first video in his series about "Backrooms". - which racked up 20 million views in two weeks.
"I was very skeptical about what would happen, because I didn't know anything about these people, and I don't know anything about the industry," he says.
"So I held on tight as best I could. I was very careful when entering into these conversations, but I also wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to waste what could be a really cool opportunity."
The wave of horror has not gone unnoticed by major studios. So much so that "Obsession" was purchased for US$15 million by Focus Features. Despite being considered an independent distributor, the company is part of the same group as Universal, one of the most traditional in the USA.
If success continues to grow, as in recent weeks, the marriage between Hollywood and YouTubers will be strengthened. just getting started.
Curry Baker directs Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston in recording 'Obsession'
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Source: G1