The claustrophobic thriller “Backrooms”, directed by the young YouTuber Kane Parsons, is crowned as the new king of horror at the box office in 2026, leaving behind established franchises such as “Scream” and projects by established filmmakers such as Sam Raimi.

The film, produced by A24, swept its first weekend of release. According to data from Comscore, the film grossed an astonishing $81.4 million in the United States and $118 million worldwide, establishing itself as the biggest horror release of the year to date.

A golden year for the genre

2026 was already being phenomenal for horror movies. “Send Help,” Sam Raimi’s survival thriller, topped the box office for two consecutive weeks in January. In March, “Scream 7” debuted to a solid $63 million debut. More recently, fellow YouTuber Curry Barker created a surprise smash hit with the double “Obsession.”

However, “Backrooms” stands above them all, breaking several records in a single weekend and surpassing heavyweights from A24's own catalogue.

A24, which began as a small independent distributor, is establishing itself in the niche and is now reaping unprecedented box office successes. Last year, “Marty Supreme” gave the production company its highest profits in its 13-year history. But “Backrooms” has already surpassed iconic titles like “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Uncut Gems” and the modern classic “Hereditary.”

With $81.4 million in its opening weekend, “Backrooms” has earned the title of the biggest opening in the company's history.

The viral phenomenon that came from the underground of the internet

Part of the magic of “Backrooms” lies in its origins. Parsons developed the lore that was born in the dusty corners of forums like 4chan and Reddit into a hit web series in 2022.

Now, at just 27 years old, he becomes the youngest director to achieve a box office success, surpassing the record held by Josh Trank with “Chronicle” in 2011.