By: Megan Lawrence
Copy Editor
With the recent transition from September to October, Halloween is now right around the corner. Alongside the holiday season will soon come the desire to watch classic horror movies and check out the latest releases the genre has to offer.
While horror has been steadily declining for quite a few years now, whether it’s because of overdone concepts or franchises that have been running far longer than necessary, 2026 has seen breakout films resurging the public’s interest in more complex narratives. Though the typical subgenres of horror have recently been seen as derivative and predictable, the latest to break the box office have provided refreshing, original stories. Original stories with little-to-no IP are what movie lovers have been craving for years, and Hollywood is finally listening.
Recently, Curry Barker, initially a YouTuber creating films with his friend Cooper Tomlinson, got the chance to direct one of the most riveting horror releases in recent years: Obsession.
The supernatural horror takes inspiration from occult trinkets with its One Wish Willow plot mechanic and twists the concept into something far more sinister, questioning how far selfishness can go with given power.
Obsession follows Bear, an employee at a music shop who harbors feelings for his co-worker and friend Nikki. When looking to buy a gift for her, he comes across the One Wish Willow, buying it for her instead as a gag gift. Feeling defeated after dropping her off at her house one night, he decides to use it for himself as a last-ditch effort.
Despite any wish being grantable, the wisher’s phrasing and intentions interpret what is done to fulfill the wish. Unaware of the consequences, Bear uses it to make Nikki, quote, “love [him] more than anyone in the fucking world.”
The movie’s title uses the most literal and extreme definition of obsession, with the wish’s possession forcing Nikki to become completely consumed by the thought of Bear and his feelings for her. At first, Bear does not think that the One Wish Willow has worked, due to his skepticism of its magical properties, and he attributes Nikki’s behavior to drugs and other apparent personal struggles. Though he is initially portrayed as a nervous, apologetic guy hoping to ask her out, his refusal to see the situation’s truth and choose morally ends up stabbing him in the back.
As the possessed version of Nikki gets more unnerving, reactive, and violent, only then does he realize his wish is entirely to blame. By that point, things have gone too far, and there’s not much he can do to change things. His other coworkers and friends, one of which is played by Tomlinson, are completely left in the dark about what is going away from their workplace, never assuming things have gone so far.
It only has some gore throughout, but its greatest effects come in the two most brutal scenes of the movie, and the choice to mostly hold off on extreme blood and makeup makes these moments much more emphasized.
Though Obsession officially came out in May of this year, it had a feature at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2025, where critics and audiences got to experience the film for the first time. Following the feature, it was the runner-up for the festival’s People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness, typically recognizing low-budget production process and underground promotion. It has now won 10 of its 19 nominations among various festivals and awards shows, and the movie grossed over $500 million at the global box office in the first three months of its ongoing run in theaters.
As the movie’s popularity has grown, Inde Navarrette has received outstanding praise for her performance, both as the real and the horrifying, dehumanized versions of Nikki. Since May, Navarrette has skyrocketed to fame, winning all four awards she has been nominated for her acting in Obsession and being slated to portray Rogue in Marvel’s upcoming X-Men movie.
Similarly to Curry Barker and Cooper Tomlinson, up-and-coming director Kane Parsons got a deal with lauded production company A24 based on his YouTube presence alone.
The Backrooms are an internet creepypasta dating back to 2002, sparked by a real image taken in Wisconsin. Over time, the origin of these Backrooms has been developed by numerous internet users, playing with concepts to develop the story differently from each perspective.
Parsons, to this day, remains a major contributor to the lore’s expansion, and his long-time YouTube series, which combines 3d animation and real-life “found footage,” has been documented as the go-to narrative for understanding the history of the Backrooms.
His Hollywood directorial debut gave him the chance to adapt his version of the concept.
The story starts with Clark, the owner of a struggling furniture store, processing his divorce through therapy. One night, while in the store’s basement, he discovers a sliver of light shining from a solid wall. Upon further investigation, he finds he can pass, or “clip,” through this wall and go into a never-ending space decorated with beige walls and carpet, what we know as the Backrooms. Slowly, he becomes obsessed with the area, constantly exploring it further and mapping it out as proof of its existence.
Deep into his fixation, it’s clear the environment of the Backrooms and long-term exposure to them has essentially indoctrinated Clark into embracing its odd nature. Because he’s currently in therapy, his vulnerable state and emotional processing are instrumental to the intense psychological distortion he goes through.
The eventual involvement of others in Clark’s life leads to the homage of certain Backrooms concepts and constant torture of everyone involved. The carousel of perspectives throughout the time spent in the Backrooms cements the purposeful maze-like feel, with characters often getting separated and struggling to make their way around. With the presence of a spindly, towering monster throughout the area, their desperation to escape only grows.
The movie deliberately uses analog video footage and eerie music in certain sequences to pay tribute to the experience Parsons has with creating first-person perspective episodes for the Backrooms universe. In doing this, it kills two birds with one stone by forcing viewers to subconsciously imagine they’re the ones being chased through the Backrooms.
While the pacing is somewhat slow, it’s intentional to convey the curiosity the characters have about this place, guiding the audience through their discoveries. The Backrooms are a fantastical, reality-warping concept, and the incredible set design and props only sell the movie’s illusion more.
For more on the world of the Backrooms, you can check out Kane Parsons’s channel Kane Pixels.
Now that YouTubers have stepped into the industry, in stride with Markiplier’s 2026 film Iron Lung, it’s clear how the future of filmmaking is shifting and expanding with newer generations. The potential for high-quality filmmaking to become discoverable and popularized through homemade, low-budget YouTube projects has opened up the market for aspiring writers and directors. Markiplier notably stood true to his roots as a long-time creator on the site and made Iron Lung available on YouTube Movies following its theatrical run.
Along with Backrooms and Iron Lung came last month’s adaptation of an even larger name in the horror game genre. Zach Cregger, director of 2025’s stand-out thriller Weapons, has returned to theaters with Resident Evil.
The original video game series that the film takes inspiration initially started in 1996, with limited graphics and quality more akin to what was standard at the time. With 2019’s remake of Resident Evil 2, the franchise saw a resurgence of old fans, and an introduction of new ones. This modern popularity launched Capcom’s campaign dedicated to remaking Resident Evil 3 in 2020 and the beloved Resident Evil 4 in 2023, along with the releases of 2021’s Resident Evil: Village and 2026’s Resident Evil: Requiem. The remakes and recent games saw the opportunity to improve its own games’ character modeling, game mechanics, story expansion, and dialogue, while also showing off the incredible improvements video games in general have made in the 30 years since the first game’s release.
Despite the original 1998 setting of Raccoon City, this movie adaptation has a modern spin, using the perspective of a civilian in the midst of the city’s outbreak. Resident Evil has previously seen two live-action movie franchises, and this release serves as the second reboot of the series.
Bryan, a medical courier originated for the movie, is on a mission to deliver a medical bag of top priority to Raccoon City. Throughout the movie, Bryan navigates hordes of zombies throughout the streets and landscapes, slowly upgrading weapons and learning to brave the environment around him in his effort to reach the city’s hospital.
Though it wisely strays from an overload of fan service, the movie comfortably mixes in gun reloading frustration, gameplay items and mechanics, dueling first-person and over-the-shoulder shots akin to the games, and the advancing strength of the monsters you encounter in playthroughs with the suspense of a classic zombie movie.
Austin Abrams, who also appeared in Weapons, shines best in his solo scenes as the stressed-out Bryan, comfortably mixing physical comedy, honest terror, and raw emotion into his performance. With an overflowing amount of blood and gore, though not in a bad way, the movie gives you more than enough to sell the stakes and desperation he experiences. Not only is he trying to escape the numerous zombies that chase him, one monster in particular haunts almost every one of his moves throughout the venture. This addition is mostly hidden in trailers, but it remains as the movie’s most haunting and impressive creature. Resident Evil does its best to not censor the reality of its story, going above and beyond in its expansion of the franchise’s well-known body horror concepts.
For fans of the games, you’ll appreciate the easter eggs and references while still feeling like it stays true to the world of Resident Evil. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, there is still plenty to enjoy without knowing the ins and outs of the story, and you will still be clutching the armrests of your chair in anticipation with the incredible effects alone.
This movie’s standalone nature is the driving force of its mass appeal. In its opening weekend, it grossed $60.1 million at the global box office, beating every past Resident Evil movie in their international theater debuts. Its current domestic earnings, totaling $129.1 million as of October 7, have already topped the franchise’s best domestic records, accounting for their entire theatrical runs. Now, it’s likely to be the most successful Resident Evil movie ever with $249.2 million earned so far. After the horror revelation that was Weapons, Cregger has created yet another hit that proves people are still willing to go to the movies.
Among all of these movies is a detail that stands out: there are no cheap jumpscares, only ones that are tactfully placed and genuinely horrifying. More often than not, horror movies go for the obvious and try to scare their audiences as much as possible, but the sequences of these films have characters slowly tread through a situation as viewers watch in anticipation. Every step, from a filmmaking perspective, is intentional and careful to guide you along with the characters.
Obsession is now available on Peacock; Backrooms can be purchased on Amazon Prime Video; and both movies are available for physical purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray in stores and online. Since September 18, Resident Evil has been showing in theaters across the country, so make sure to catch it on the big screen and support the gradual return of movie-going.
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