2 young directors strike big at the box office with 'Backrooms' and 'Obsession'

Article excerpt

Two young filmmakers are making unexpected box office waves: Kane Parsons, 20, directed Backrooms, a horror film set in a labyrinth of abandoned offices, while 26-year-old Curry Barker's Obsession explores consent and male loneliness through a horror lens. The films represent a new generation of directors finding commercial success with genre storytelling that blends atmospheric dread with contemporary themes. Both projects signal a shift in what audiences seek from horror, less jump scares, more psychological and social commentary.