Halloween Horror: How Did Obsession and Backrooms Leave Such a Huge Impact on Horror?

     With Halloween just around the corner, it’s no doubt that we’ll be seeing plenty of Nikki and Clark costumes inspired by 2026’s biggest horror films—Obsession and Backrooms, both released to glowing reviews this past May. Despite both being produced for under $10 million, Obsession and Backrooms made over $400 million each at the box office worldwide, higher than even Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. Even more surprisingly, both films were masterminded by young YouTube creators: Obsession was directed by Curry Barker, 26, while Backrooms was created by Kane Parsons, 20. So, how did two low-budget films with amateur directors become such huge global hits?

 Although their success was completely unexpected, these two films use a few distinct strategies that bring massive crowds to theaters and keep people talking about them long after their release. The widespread appeal of Obsession and Backrooms is largely thanks to three key elements: targeting young adults, adding themes of modern issues, and using dark humor to complement scariness.

     While horror films often cater to young adults, Obsession and Backrooms, both created by directors in their twenties, take this a step further. Unlike the artificial “filler” characters of traditional horror films, the protagonists of Obsession behave like actual twenty-year-olds:they use 2020s slang, spend hours on social media, and navigate awkwardness with dating. On the other hand, while Backrooms stars middle-aged adults, the film’s plot draws directly from the Backrooms creepypasta, a piece of internet lore that teenagers know all about. But notably, these films weren’t just created for young adults—they were created by them. Being young themselves, Curry Barker and Kane Parsons knew exactly the kind of dark humor, pop culture references, and scary horror that will land with viewers ages 18 - 30. Since Gen Zers are already 17% more likely to go to movie theaters at least once a year than Gen Xers (according to Variety), intelligent horror movies that are tailor-made for young adults are sure to become popular.

     In addition to making the films specifically for young adults, Obsession and Backrooms tie back to the real world even more by including themes of relevant societal issues. Obsession was directly created as a critique of toxic masculinity, with the male lead Bear using a magical toy to wish that his crush Nikki would love him back (without her consent). Although he initially feels happy, Bear’s actions lead to disastrous consequences for both him and Nikki, since she has no control over her new feelings. Additionally, Backrooms addresses mental health through the character Mary, a therapist who was neglected and mistreated as a child. Mary constantly tries to forget her past, but it eventually catches up to her in the Backrooms, with this psychological tension adding to the film’s eeriness. By including complex metaphors alongside true horror, the films appeal both to fans who love analysis and fans who just want entertainment. With this strategy, Obsession and Backrooms effectively use horror to symbolize the “horrors” of our world.

      The last key element that Obsession and Backrooms use to their advantage is, surprisingly, a good amount of humor. Obsession uses plenty of dark humor right up until its terrifying climax, from when Bear awkwardly rehearses a confession of his feelings to when a paranoid Nikki cries, “Do you love me?!” at a horrified Bear. Meanwhile, Backrooms brings humor through the misfortune of its protagonist, Clark; as the owner of an unpopular furniture store, he fails miserably at filming a new ad by accidentally breaking his own merchandise. When Clark teleports to the Backrooms and is chased by strange-looking monsters through the yellow rooms, it looks so ridiculous that it’s almost funny. Although horror directors are often afraid to use comedy, having dark humor at the beginning of horror plots shows the absurdity of the characters’ decisions and actually makes scary moments even more terrifying when they do come—making the films even more entertaining and worth a watch.

      When looking at these two films’ winning combination of relatability, relevance, and originality, Obsession and Backrooms clearly have more in common than just one-word titles. While horror films have used some of these elements before, the genre has rarely felt so accessible, modern, and darkly funny. With these movies becoming such breakout successes, it’s not difficult to imagine a new wave of young directors making even more unconventional horror movies in the near future.