Hi Reader,
Something really interesting is happening at the box office right now.
Two low-budget original horror films - Obsession and Backrooms - are doing the kind of business that should have every writer, filmmaker, producer, and story consultant paying close attention.
As of now, Backrooms has opened to about $81.5 million domestic and $118 million worldwide on a reported $10 million budget, while Obsession has climbed to roughly $104.7 million domestic and $148 million worldwide on a budget reported around $750,000 to under $1 million. Those aren't "nice little indie numbers" - they're real theatrical numbers. And they came while going up against major studio competition.
That matters, because for years now, we’ve been hearing some version of the same thing:
- theaters are dying
- audiences aren’t coming back
- younger viewers only want streaming
- original films can’t break through
- and the only real path is familiar IP, franchise brand recognition, or giant marketing spend
But these films say otherwise. Audiences will still show up - in big numbers - when they’re given something that feels:
- original
- urgent
- worth talking about
- and worth leaving the house for!
The theater problem may not be theaters
One of the biggest myths in the current movie conversation is that "people don’t want to go to theaters anymore".
And yet here comes The Backrooms and Obsession, driven by 20-something-year-old filmmakers Kane Parsons and Curry Barker, and suddenly younger audiences are packing cinemas again. Reporting on the weekend pointed to especially strong turnout from younger viewers, with The Backrooms pulling a heavily under-35 audience.
So maybe the issue isn’t that audiences abandoned theaters - maybe they just got tired of paying premium prices for movies that feel:
- bland
- overly familiar
- risk-averse
- or built around everything except the actual story
Which of those two sides feels a lot closer to the truth?
What Hollywood will get wrong
Now, the bad news is that part of the industry is going to learn the wrong lesson from this.
They’re going to say:
“Okay, weird horror makes money now.”
“Internet projects are the way to go.”
“Let’s make ten more of the exact same thing!”
And that’s what the industry always does when something fresh hits. They copy the surface level, but miss the deeper parts that truly matter.
So yes, I think we’re going to get a wave of copycats. And most of them will probably focus on the easy stuff:
- the visual weirdness
- the marketing angle
- the online buzz
- the trend itself
But not the part that actually made a difference.
The right lesson
The real lesson is much simpler: original storytelling still works.
And, what's more - good storytelling still works.
That’s what brought people in, and got them talking. And that’s what made these films feel like events instead of recycled content.
That’s also why films like Iron Lung matter too. It grossed about $51.2 million worldwide on a $3 million budget, which is another strong sign that low-budget genre storytelling can break through when it actually connects with the audience.
And on a much smaller scale, that’s something I saw with my own film Contamination as well. There’s a real appetite out there for original genre films when people feel like they’re getting something they haven’t already seen a dozen times before.
What this means for writers
The door isn't closed. The audience isn't gone. And original genre isn't dead.
Quite the opposite! But if the industry wants to capitalize on this long-term, it can’t just chase the trend. It has to invest in the thing that made the trend work in the first place:
- original ideas
- character-driven storytelling
- writers who understand genre
- and stories made for paying audiences, and not just gatekeepers or algorithms
That means hiring writers, story coaches, developmental editors, and script doctors who actually know these genres inside and out.
To put it bluntly: if you want a great steak, hire the chef who loves cooking steak - not the one trying to talk you into tofu.
Same thing here. If you want great horror, action, or sci-fi, bring in the people who actually live and breathe those stories.
🎥 Watch the full video here: How OBSESSION and BACKROOMS Prove Audiences Want Originality
And if you’re writing an original genre script and want help getting it stronger, sharper, and more audience-ready, then contact me via:
👉 My coaching calls - great for brainstorming, outlining, character work, and solving story problems early: Book Your Session today!
👉 My coverage packages - a great next step if you need meaningful developmental feedback before diving back into the draft: Click here!
👉 Rewrite to Greenlight - my ongoing developmental editing program for taking a script from almost there to funding or production-ready: Click here!
Original stories still matter. And right now, the box office is proving it!
Stay creative!
Neil
P.S. Check out my feature film, Spin the Wheel - out now on Tubi!
Click here to watch for FREE: https://tubitv.com/movies/100030151/spin-the-wheel
Learn more about storytelling, screenwriting, and filmmaking: www.neilchasefilm.com.
Looking for in-depth help with your script, story or film? Check out my one-on-one coaching services here.
Check out my Gothic horror-western novel, Iron Dogs, available in eBook, print, and audiobook.
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