Backrooms is A24’s highest-grossing film: The rise of YouTuber-turned-directors appealing to Gen Z’s year-round love of horror

By Chloe James - 29 Jun 2026
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Posted by Chloe James in Analysis

2 months ago

Gen Z creators are leading the horror renaissance. In May alone, two horror films from YouTubers-turned-directors – Kane Parsons’ Backrooms and Curry Barker’s Obsession – made their mark at the box office, with the latter breaking the record for the highest-grossing project ever acquired by a studio at a film festival after taking home more…

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