2026's Viral Record-Breaking Horror Backrooms Is Officially Undefeated on Streaming

In early summer 2026, horror headlines were dominated by Focus Features' Obsession. Former YouTuber Curry Barker made his filmmaking debut with this breakout masterpiece, as scary as it is poignant. Key to the film's success was a viral lead performance by Inde Navarrette, already an early favorite to earn Oscars gold in 2027, alongside other major category pushes for Obsession.

Obsession was not only labeled one of the finest debuts of this decade; it also smashed many box office records. This includes becoming the highest-grossing original horror movie of this century and the only genre film in history to stay in the box office top ten for over 40 days in a row, with Obsession turning a sub-$1 million budget into more than $500 million worldwide. But Obsession wasn't the only horror hit breaking box office records in May 2026.

Released alongside Barker's breakout was Backrooms, which itself broke an impressive box office record as 20-year-old Kane Parsons became the youngest director ever to claim the #1 spot on the North American box office charts. Like Barker, Parsons was also making the move from YouTube to filmmaking with his directorial debut, which saw him adapt the viral online creepypasta into a mind-boggling feature-length success. Against a reported production budget of just $10 million, Backrooms earned an impressive $393 million in global revenue, but its success isn't limited to a strong theatrical run. Four months later, Parsons' horror smash is still proving popular, officially ranking as the most-watched movie on Amazon in the U.S., even outperforming the second-placed Obsession.

What Did Critics Say About 'Backrooms'?

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Although it didn't earn quite the unfiltered praise of Obsession, Backrooms was still the recipient of widespread acclaim upon arrival. The film drew comparisons to the work of Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch in Aidan Kelley's review for Collider, in which he called it a "near-flawless film that demands to be seen." Backrooms scored highly on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, earning a "certified fresh" score of 87%, just 6% short of Obsession. Backrooms is led by Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and features a script by Will Soodik, who had previously penned the Homeland episode "Tower of David."