YouTube‑Made Horror Films ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms’ Shatter 2026 Box Office Records

Two low‑budget horror movies created by YouTube filmmakers have produced unprecedented domestic box‑office results in 2026. Curry Barker’s “Obsession”, made for about $750,000, earned a $23.9 million second‑weekend, a 39.4 % increase over its opening and pushed its three‑week domestic total past $106 million. The film’s week‑to‑week growth marks the largest post‑holiday spike for a movie in more than 2,500 theaters.

Kane Parsons’s “Backrooms”, released by A24, opened with $81 million domestically and $118 million worldwide, setting the biggest opening ever for the studio and the highest debut for an original horror title. Its debut also established a record for a first‑time filmmaker on a non‑franchise film. Both titles have drawn young, predominantly male audiences and have highlighted the rising impact of internet‑cult creators on mainstream cinema.