Backrooms and Obsession Are 2026's Ultimate Horror Double Feature You Can't Miss

If you like a bit of cinema history as it happens, this is a weekend you’ll actually want to leave your house for. Forget all those ‘horror is dead’ think pieces—2025 is looking like a proper banner year for the genre, but right now, two absolutely massive horror films are putting bums on seats and turning ‘double feature’ from a dusty phrase into real box office magic. A24’s new chiller ‘Backrooms’ and the supernatural juggernaut ‘Obsession’ are tearing it up side by side in cinemas across North America.

The Back-to-Back Horror Event Everyone’s On About

Let’s get into why this particular pairing is such a knock-out. You’d be hard pressed to find two big, new horror releases with less in common, but that’s exactly what makes this work. On one hand, ‘Obsession’ is basically the platonic ideal of a twisted, darkly funny horror hit. Inde Navarrette is genuinely superb in the lead as ‘Freaky Nikki’—if she doesn’t end up with an Oscar nom, I’ll eat my hat. The film goes heavy on its pitch-black comedy, makes every splatter of gore count, and doesn’t let you go until you’ve been thoroughly drained—all capping off with an ending so bleak, you’ll need a stiff drink after.

Then you’ve got ‘Backrooms’. Complete tonal whiplash, but in a good way. Where ‘Obsession’ is all wild energy and in-your-face menace, ‘Backrooms’ lives on a slower, creepier wavelength—less jump scares, more skin-crawling dread. It leans hard into the weird, uncanny horror of endless empty corridors and the absolute terror of being alone. There are a few big moments, obviously—it’s still horror—but mostly it’s about the psychological stuff: that choking, isolating weirdness you get from liminal spaces and too much quiet. Basically, if you make it through both films in one go, you might want to text a mate just to prove you’re still breathing.

Blockbusters in the Making—And Yes, It’s Actually Happened Before the Oscars

Now, the business side. ‘Obsession’ isn’t just critically adored—it’s a box office monster. We’re talking over $80 million already banked, heading for the $150 million mark at a pace that’s making studio execs giddy. For a horror film to trounce a Star Wars spin-off (‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’, if you’re keeping score) at the box office, even for a day, is basically unheard of.

‘Backrooms’ is giving it a run for its money, too. Kane Parsons, who’s made the leap from YouTube stardom (remember all those terrifying viral shorts?), is actually delivering. Early projections are putting its opening weekend somewhere between $40–$60 million on home turf. That’s massive, especially for an R-rated horror flick and even more so for something out of A24—who, by the way, have never seen numbers like this at a film’s kickoff.

Both Films, Practically a Clean Sweep with Critics and Audiences

• ‘Obsession’: 96% critic score, 94% audience on Rotten Tomatoes
• ‘Backrooms’: 88% critic rating (as of this weekend), over 100 critic reviews, audience score expected to clock in nearly as high

It’s rare enough for a horror film to pull off this sort of critical sweep and box office windfall at the same time. For two titles to hit those heights together, literally in the same week? Practically never happens. Whoever programmed this double feature deserves a medal. If you live and breathe horror, or even if you just vaguely fancy seeing what all the fuss is about, this is as close as you’ll get to a ‘you had to be there’ moment at the pictures.