Horror makes a killing: ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ take #1 and #2 at box office

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Chiwetel Ejiofor in ‘Backrooms.’ (Courtesy of A24)

The horror genre scared up big numbers at the box office this weekend.

A24’s Backrooms, directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, took the #1 spot with $81.5 million. In addition to beating box office expectations, the film broke all kinds of records.

According to Variety, Backrooms had the biggest debut in history for an original horror film, as well as the biggest debut for a first-time filmmaker on a non-franchise film. Parsons is the youngest director to have a #1 film at the box office.

The film is based on Parsons’ popular YouTube series, and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve as two people who enter a secret doorway into a maze of seemingly endless rooms.

Coming in at #2 in its third week of release was another horror film from a young director and former YouTuber, Obsession, which took in $26.4 million. The film, directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker, tells the story of a crush gone horribly wrong.

The week’s other two new releases, Nate Bargatze’s The Breadwinner and the World War II film Pressure, came in at numbers 5 and 7, respectively.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. Backrooms — $81.5 million
2. Obsession — $26.4 million
3. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu — $25 million
4. Michael — $11.7 million
5. The Breadwinner — $7.5 million
6. The Devil Wears Prada 2 — $5.9 million
7. Pressure — $5.75 million
8. The Sheep Detectives — $4.6 million
9. Passenger — $2.6 million
10. Mortal Kombat II — $2 million