A24’s 'Backrooms' Eyes All-Time Record Following $10.4m Preview

Published 05/29/2026, 5:27 PM EDT

Credits: Caption- You are not supposed to be here. BACKROOMS, a Kane Parsons film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. In theaters 05.29.26/@kanepixels/Instagram

Traditional film studios continue to rely heavily on massive production budgets and predictable intellectual properties. The groundbreaking independent psychological horror feature, Backrooms, has taken the global box office by absolute storm. This terrifying cinematic journey expertly translates the deeply unsettling, liminal universe originally pioneered across viral digital platforms.

The staggering financial reception demonstrates the immense commercial power of modern internet folklore.

The financial success of Backrooms

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According to Variety, the highly anticipated psychological thriller Backrooms, co-produced by A24 and Chernin Entertainment, is shattering long-standing industry records after capturing a jaw-dropping $10.4 million during its initial Thursday night preview screenings. This monumental box office triumph comfortably surpasses the previous company opening record established by the 2024 political thriller Civil War, which secured $2.9 million in previews before debuting to $25.5 million.

Remarkably, this historic financial milestone was achieved on a highly efficient, modest production budget of just $10 million, ensuring immediate profitability for the independent studio. The mind-bending feature film serves as the official full-length directorial debut of visionary 28-old YouTube prodigy Kane Parsons, who also stars alongside acclaimed performers Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve.

The deeply immersive, found-footage theatrical narrative draws its brilliant creative inspiration directly from his viral 2022 short film The Backrooms, which amassed hundreds of millions of views. The expanded plot follows a determined investigator exploring a mysterious subterranean doorway discovered beneath a commercial furniture showroom, which leads straight into an endless labyrinth of empty, yellow-walled corridors.

Will 'Backrooms' Movie Be On Netflix? Where to Watch

Audiences completely mesmerized by this chilling style of atmospheric isolation can discover several highly acclaimed modern genre staples.

Exploring similar cinematic masterpieces

Connoisseurs of surreal, high-concept suspense can explore a magnificent selection of parallel films that masterfully weaponize claustrophobia and alternate dimensions. A definitive recommendation is the acclaimed tech-horror feature Iron Lung, directed by popular digital creator Markiplier, which similarly tracks a lone protagonist navigating a claustrophobic, terrifying environment under extreme pressure.

Fans can also dive into the freshly released psychological thriller Obsession, directed by Curry Barker, which has rapidly neared the $100 million domestic mark by capturing the same passionate, youthful demographic. Additionally, the minimalist micro-budget phenomenon Skinamarink offers a profoundly experimental, slow-burn exploration of liminal domestic spaces that beautifully mirrors the eerie aesthetic of web-based creepypastas.

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For viewers seeking intricate, mind-bending narrative structures, the brilliant indie thriller Coherence masterfully deconstructs shifting realities and multiversal paranoia within a singular, highly tense location. This incredible box office milestone proves that the creative pipeline between viral web creators and major independent studios is officially the most lucrative frontier in modern cinema.

Mark Duplass Shuts Down Claims Kane Parsons Was Ghost-Directed on 'Backrooms'

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What do you think about the  psychological thriller Backrooms? Let us know in the comments.

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Soma Mitra

1362 articles

Soma is a journalist at Netflix Junkie. With a postgraduate degree in Mass Communication, she brings production experience from documentary films like Chandua: Stories on Fabric. Covering the true crime and docu-drama beat, she turns psychological thrillers into sharp, audience-aware storytelling.

Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra

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