This Weekend’s Top Two Films Are Directed by YouTube Sensations

This weekend marks a flourishing shift from YouTube to esteemed horror cinema.

Topping the box office is “Backrooms,” a feature film adaptation of Kane Parsons’ acclaimed YouTube series that features disturbing found footage from an enigmatic office space (inspired by a 4chan thread) that flouts the laws of physics.

Directed by Parsons, “Backrooms” raked in $38 million on Friday, with projections suggesting it may reach between $80 million and $90 million in domestic sales over the weekend. This achievement sets a new record for indie studio A24, surpassing the previous record of $25.7 million set by “Civil War” during its opening weekend.

Taking the second position is “Obsession,” which is attaining something arguably more extraordinary. While it made $8 million on Friday, it’s anticipated to reach around $28.5 million for the weekend. The film, centered on a romantic pursuit that spirals into chaos, has significantly outperformed its initial weekend earnings, with an estimated growth of 19 percent for its third weekend.

For context, major releases generally see a decline of 50 to 70 percent in their second weekend; last year’s “Sinners” was celebrated for its exceptional word-of-mouth success, experiencing a decrease of less than 5 percent. Aside from holiday releases, which tend to maintain stronger performance, consistent growth week-to-week is almost unheard of — according to the Hollywood Reporter, “Obsession” is the first film since 1982 to grow during both its second and third weekends.

Similar to “Backrooms,” “Obsession” is a horror film directed by a creator who began on YouTube — Curry Barker, who premiered the hour-long found footage horror film “Milk & Serial” on YouTube in 2024. Barker is already filming his next project and is set to direct a new version of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

These two films follow the unexpected success of “Iron Lung,” a video game adaptation released earlier this year, directed by Mark Fischbach, better known as Markiplier on YouTube, which grossed nearly $41 million domestically.

In a New York Times article discussing the recent “YouTube-to-filmmaker surge,” Rutgers Cinema General Manager Mark DelVecchio noted that “many YouTubers have tried to break into mainstream films and have not succeeded.” What sets Parsons, Barker, and Fischbach apart? DelVecchio emphasized that, despite their youth (with Parsons at 20 and Barker at 26), they exhibit a sense of “longevity.”

“Some of them have been crafting content for a considerable time, which helps cultivate a devoted audience willing to follow them,” he added.

By the way, while I haven’t gotten the chance to see “Backrooms” yet (fingers crossed for tomorrow), I have watched “Obsession.” I can attest it does not disappoint — I found myself covering my eyes during much of the second half and might have let out a few screams.