‘Backrooms’ Beat the Numbers, but ‘Obsession’ Rewrote the Rules: Breaking Down Horror’s Most Stunning Box Office Double Act

The summer of 2026 was supposed to belong to blockbusters, sequels, and franchise juggernauts. Instead, two micro-budget horror films directed by YouTubers in their twenties have dominated the domestic box office in a way that nobody in the industry saw coming, and the ripple effects are already being felt across Hollywood. ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms’ are...