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The Monsters Inside of You

The Monsters Inside of You

The Monsters Inside of You

Curry Barker's Obsession and Kane Parsons' Backrooms have, out of nowhere, taken the world of cinema by storm, attracting wild numbers of visitors back to cinemas. In this piece, we analyse exactly where the success of the two YouTuber-directed films lies, why it's worth looking for inspiration inwards rather than outwards and why psychological horror resonates so well with Gen Z.

by

Emil Voss

2 min read

2 min read

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@backroomsmovie

@backroomsmovie

@backroomsmovie




The world of cinema looks to be changing, and for once, it might be for the better. Recent months featured multiple premieres of blockbuster Hollywood titles, such as Michael, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, and The Devil Wears Prada 2. Yet, it seems that even these sky-high-budget productions have been utterly outshone by two films directed by YouTubers with a significantly less pompous budget than any of the aforementioned releases.




We are, of course, talking here of Curry Barker's Obsession and Kane Parsons' Backrooms. Both films made a spectacular entrance into the mainstream, with audiences flocking to cinemas with an excitement that felt long missing, even leading to Kane Parsons becoming the youngest director to open at #1 at the American box office at just 20 years old. 



Both films belong to the genre of psychological horror, but their success may reveal something larger than audiences' appetite for jump scares. Unlike traditional horror, which locates danger in monsters or supernatural forces, psychological horror feeds on fears deep inside the mind itself.


Both in Obsession and Backrooms, this is done exceptionally well, with the directors drawing on anxieties tied to insecurity, self-doubt, or the rise of Artificial Intelligence, all of which feel far too familiar—especially for younger viewers—and portraying these shared psychological anxieties as the true monstrosity. It is no wonder, then, that the films have so strongly resonated with Gen Z audiences in a way that many recent products of the cinema industry simply failed to do.


@obsessionthemovie


In Obsession, this is achieved through the acknowledgement of human attachment and the expression of affection as something deeply frightening. At the very core of the film lies an extremely relatable fear of vulnerability and rejection, which gradually becomes more and more monstrous as the movie goes on.


It is exactly this acknowledgement and theatrical exaggeration of the anxiety-inducing nature of human connection that is bound to strike a chord with anyone who has attempted to find love in our current times. Furthermore, Barker uses the film to pose surprisingly well-crafted questions about the morality of lust and the need to be loved, making Obsession much more than a conventional horror film. It is in this relatability and emotional accessibility that the film truly stands out, regardless of its caricaturally microscopic budget.


After all, the whole concept of horror in Obsession is rooted within the characters' minds and emotions, constantly reminding the audience of real-life situations and insecurities that many of us can immediately identify with.



Parsons' Backrooms, on the other hand, seems to feed on a completely different type of psychological terror, exploring themes of self-hatred, the repetitiveness of life and, of course, Artificial Intelligence.


The whole premise of the film is indeed extremely reminiscent of AI content generation, with the titular Backrooms being a liminal space that consumes and constantly reproduces its 'input' into more and more distorted and unsettling versions of itself. Human faces appear with too many eyes, limbs bend in impossible directions, and ordinary objects seem to melt into one another. What makes these creations so unsettling is not their complete separation from reality, but rather their uncanny resemblance to it. They remain recognisable, yet everything about them feels deeply wrong.


What makes the film truly special, however, is the way Parsons portrays this recognisable repetition leading to distortion as a nightmarish reality in which we all already exist. We wake up every day and choose to do the exact same things which seemed to have gotten us through the day before, and so on, until it all loses its original meaning. 



Parsons' Backrooms, on the other hand, seems to feed on a completely different type of psychological terror, exploring themes of self-hatred, the repetitiveness of life and, of course, Artificial Intelligence.


The whole premise of the film is indeed extremely reminiscent of AI content generation, with the titular Backrooms being a liminal space that consumes and constantly reproduces its 'input' into more and more distorted and unsettling versions of itself. Human faces appear with too many eyes, limbs bend in impossible directions, and ordinary objects seem to melt into one another. What makes these creations so unsettling is not their complete separation from reality, but rather their uncanny resemblance to it. They remain recognisable, yet everything about them feels deeply wrong.


What makes the film truly special, however, is the way Parsons portrays this recognisable repetition leading to distortion as a nightmarish reality in which we all already exist. We wake up every day and choose to do the exact same things which seemed to have gotten us through the day before, and so on, until it all loses its original meaning. 



Similarly to Obsession, then, Backrooms has found inspiration for its horror in the everydayness of life. Both of the films simply refuse to portray what is known to the audience as normal as some utopic state, which is then disrupted by an external evil power. This leaves space for the acknowledgement of the everyday struggle which life challenges people with and the hellish potential of our minds to turn against us. It is in that refreshing relatability that young audiences seem to have found a bit of themselves.


Combine this with the unlikely backgrounds of both directors, and it is no wonder that both films have so quickly dragged Gen Z straight back into movie theatres in a way which many past products of the cinema industry simply failed to do. The success of Obsession and Backrooms grants all cinephiles a glimmer of hope that the movie theatre model's prospects for survival won't be as bleak as one could have thought previously. And the best thing about it all is that we can still expect the future to hold much more from both of the young, talented directors, with Curry Barker just signing a deal with Universal for his next film, this time with an 8-figure budget.


@obsessionthemovie

@backroomsmovie

@backroomsmovie

@obsessionthemovie


Similarly to Obsession, then, Backrooms has found inspiration for its horror in the everydayness of life. Both of the films simply refuse to portray what is known to the audience as normal as some utopic state, which is then disrupted by an external evil power. This leaves space for the acknowledgement of the everyday struggle which life challenges people with and the hellish potential of our minds to turn against us. It is in that refreshing relatability that young audiences seem to have found a bit of themselves.


Combine this with the unlikely backgrounds of both directors, and it is no wonder that both films have so quickly dragged Gen Z straight back into movie theatres in a way which many past products of the cinema industry simply failed to do. The success of Obsession and Backrooms grants all cinephiles a glimmer of hope that the movie theatre model's prospects for survival won't be as bleak as one could have thought previously. And the best thing about it all is that we can still expect the future to hold much more from both of the young, talented directors, with Curry Barker just signing a deal with Universal for his next film, this time with an 8-figure budget.



In Obsession, this is achieved through the acknowledgement of human attachment and the expression of affection as something deeply frightening. At the very core of the film lies an extremely relatable fear of vulnerability and rejection, which gradually becomes more and more monstrous as the movie goes on.


It is exactly this acknowledgement and theatrical exaggeration of the anxiety-inducing nature of human connection that is bound to strike a chord with anyone who has attempted to find love in our current times. Furthermore, Barker uses the film to pose surprisingly well-crafted questions about the morality of lust and the need to be loved, making Obsession much more than a conventional horror film. It is in this relatability and emotional accessibility that the film truly stands out, regardless of its caricaturally microscopic budget.


After all, the whole concept of horror in Obsession is rooted within the characters' minds and emotions, constantly reminding the audience of real-life situations and insecurities that many of us can immediately identify with.


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