The last few years have delivered some unexpected horror movie hits as the genre experiences a huge resurgence thanks to a wave of new and creative releases. In 2026, that success skyrocketed as low budget horror movies replaced franchise blockbusters as the biggest moneyspinners when comparing profits to the original budgets. Of course, with every successful theatrical release comes an equally attention-grabbing streaming debut couple of months later. This is exactly what has happened with one of A24‘s biggest movies, which just debuted on HBO Max and immediately brushed aside DCU tentpole movie Supergirl to take the top spot on the chart. While there was a time when a horror movie from a studio mostly associated with low-budget genre movies would never have been able to challenge a mighty superhero blockbuster, the times have certainly changed.
Backrooms is the low-budget horror movie based on the viral creepypasta that surpassed all expectations to become the highest grossing release in A24’s history. When it was originally announced that the internet meme about an unsettling hidden world of yellow walls and endless corridors was being made into a movie, many couldn’t understand exactly why it was happening. The original idea has very little story and is more just about the unnerving feeling of walking around in a strange place that seemingly has no end. Yet young filmmaker Kane Parsons, whose work has been watched millions of times on his YouTube channel in the last several years, took one the biggest opportunities of his life and ran with it. Going from YouTube creator the director of a movie that grossed over $400 million is not some kind of fluke, and Backrooms success in theaters looks like it was just the first chapter in its story.
Backrooms was made on a budget of $10 million, way below the the $170 million (or more) that Supergirl cost to make. Yet while Supergirl couldn’t make back its costs while in cinemas, ending its lacklustre theatrical run on around $126 million, Backrooms made $118 million worldwide from just its opening weekend. The film soared in popularity on the back of a strong 86% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and the general wave of appreciation for horror movies that do something special on a limited budget. The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, and Mark Duplass, who find themselves in an abstract nightmare that transitioned to the big screen with ease to deliver one of the best movies of the year. Taking up its position at the top of the HBO Max streaming chart, it is now finding a new level of success from those wanting to relive the gripping experience again or discovering it for the first time.
Studios have always been looking for the next way to capitalize on an internet phenomenon. Some of them work, many of them done, and there are a lot that should never even be considered – we still remember the story that Michael Bay could be working on a Skibidi Toilet movie. While viral internet trends and videos can attract hundreds of millions of interactions online, turning that into a feature length movie that can keep audiences entertained for up to two hours can be a daunting task for even veteran directors. Parsons’ success on Backrooms has seemingly secured him the chance to continue this wild ride with a sequel in the works. He previously said that there is a broader universe that Backrooms was always meant to explore, and it looks like he will get the chance to do just that. The question is, is it possible for lightning to strike twice or will the horror genre be back in the ground for another decade before the sequel makes its way into theaters?
Was Backrooms one of the horror movies of the year for you, or was it not quite as good as the hype suggested? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
