The new horror film "Obsession" isn't a sequel, prequel or remake.
Most audiences haven't heard of the film's stars - Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette - nor the film's young director, Curry Barker. One of the movie's posters features the title in a sea of red.
That's it.
Oh, and "Obsession" earned an impressive $17 million in its opening weekend on just 2,600 screens. Most major releases get 3,500-4,000+ screens.
The bigger news? "Obsession" hauled in $24 million in its second frame, a 39 percent jump from its debut.
That simply does not happen. Most movies are lucky to fall 20-40 percent in their second weekend of release. Not "Obession." It did the opposite.
Is that world-of-mouth magic? The skills that the neophyte Barker, recently handed the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," brings to the big screen?
Or do audiences crave horror now more than ever? The answer is a definitive "yes," especially since the seventh film in the "Scream" franchise just racked up $121 million a few weeks back.
Need more proof that horror is the new "It" movie genre?
"Backrooms" opens this weekend. Once again, an untested director weaned on YouTube (20-year-old Kane Parsons) is in charge of a spooky film with zero IP connection and a distinct art-house vibe. The story follows a struggling furniture salesman who discovers a secret series of rooms in his showroom.
The thriller does have two recognizable faces - Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve of "Sentimental Value" fame. Still, they don't necessary screen "must-see" attractions. Yet the film may earn as much as $50 million this weekend, according to Deadline.com.
Stunning. Again.
"Backrooms" is a slow burn, mixing found-footage chills with an exploration of therapy and its layers of grief. Scares abound, but they exist in a world of existential dread. There's no Freddy Krueger or Jason eager to slice and dice innocents. This is sobering nightmare fuel, but packaged in a format that appears to defy conventional marketing means.
It's the kind of film that would normally make a few million at the U.S. box office, at best, before heading to VOD platforms.
The box office predictions scream otherwise.
What's happening? This year has seen the theatrical model bloom in unexpected ways. Consider these 2026 hits and remember the summer movie season has just begun.
- "Project Hail Mary"
- "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie"
- "Michael"
- "Hoppers"
- "Scream 7"
- "The Devil Wears Prada 2"
Now, we have both "Obsession" and, most likely, "Backrooms" to add to that list.
A rising tide lifts all boats. Americans are getting into the movie-going habit again. That helps, of course. What else does? We desperately crave an escape from social media, from divisive late-night hosts and a culture that insists we're thisclose to a new civil war.
And no genre works better in a crowded movie theater that horror.
