Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg has expressed his views on the successes achieved by some low-budget movies like Obsession and Backrooms. Obsession has emerged as one of the year's biggest horror movies, while Backrooms has broken multiple records for A24.

"I'm so happy for them. I think it's so fantastic," he told at a recent screening of his new movie Disclosure Day. He noted that he has seen Obsession and said,

"I think it's great that they had basically very little money, especially Obsession had under $1 million, and the other film had maybe 10 or nine, and they're doing so well, and I just applaud them. I haven't seen Backrooms; I am going to see it when all this is over. But I have seen Obsession, and I loved it,” he continued.

As Spielberg praised Obsession and Backrooms, he stood on the red carpet of his upcoming Disclosure Day, a sci-fi thriller about man’s first confirmed contact with non-human intelligence. A meteorologist uncovers hidden information about extraterrestrial life that sets in motion events that could change the world forever. The film deals with government secrecy, alien disclosure, and the effects on the world when they discover that humans are not alone.

As Spielberg praises the two, Obsession and Backrooms have rightfully changed the face of the horror genre this year.

Obsession and Backrooms continue to rewrite the box office record books 

Obsession is one of the year's biggest horror films since it opened in theaters on May 15. Written and directed by Curry Barker, the film was Focus Features’ biggest domestic release, with strong audiences in the country. The film was made for less than a million dollars and grossed over $151 million in the United States, becoming one of the most profitable scary films of the year. 

Meanwhile, Backrooms has brought a ton of major milestones for A24. The horror feature, directed by Kane Parsons, has grossed over $118 million worldwide. Based on Parsons’ popular YouTube web series, Backrooms went on to become A24’s highest-grossing domestic release and the first film in the studio’s history to cross $100 million at the domestic box office. 

That success is especially striking because the movie started as an internet horror phenomenon rather than an established Hollywood franchise. Its strong box office performance was a sign of the growing influence of online creators and digital storytelling in mainstream cinema. This has also made Parsons one of the most-watched young filmmakers in the industry. 

Could the success of Obsession and Backrooms signal a new era for low-budget horror films in Hollywood? Let us know in the comments. 

Written by

Bias Sinha

Edited by

Itti Mahajan