Quick Review Double Feature: Obsession & Backrooms (2026)
What a beautiful time for horror
Introduction
So this month we got probably the two biggest horror movie releases in a long time with Obsession and Backrooms. Backrooms was predicated to already be a huge movie, but I don’t think anyone knew how huge Obsession would turn out to be. Originally I wasn’t going to review Obsession as I had a lot going on in the month. However since these are two huge horror movies and they’ve been the talk of the town. I figured I would review them together in the first ever Quick Review Double Feature. Everyone should really go see them while they are in theaters! Now here’s a review for both movies in one!
Obsession Review
Obsession is something that has been on my radar ever since SXSW as many people I follow came out of it claiming it was already the best horror movie of the year. Now when I hear this sentiment, I tend to keep my expectations at a lower level. So many other movies have had this claim in the past and I would tend to end up disappointed by them. However I was still very interested in the film. I hadn’t heard of Curry Barker and the work he had done on Youtube before, but I went into the movie wondering what he would come up with. After watching it though, Obsession is not only the scariest movie of the year, but it’s one of the scariest movies I have seen in a long time and I’m so happy I can say that.
I would have never expected the story of this film to be as scary as it was, but man it caught me off guard with how scary it could get. The film takes concepts like taking advantage of someone and creating this horrifying nightmare around it. Then you look at character decisions and see how much of a mess unravels because of it. The more you think about the decisions made in the film, the more you realize how screwed this situation actually is. There’s so much in here that you can analyze and take away from the film. It also manages a great blend of horrifying nightmare fuel and then being really funny at some points. It does a great job balancing those emotions and they don’t get in the way with each other. It’s also just so damn mean, but in a way that doesn’t ruin the film and instead adds to it. The story is so damn good and really pulled me in with what it decides to do.
The acting all across the board in Obsession in phenomenal. The performances from Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, and Megan Lawless are all great and they deserve their flowers for what they give to this movie. I think each of them do have scenes where they get to shine and the chemistry between them is very strong. You can believe that they have all been friends for a while. But of course, the performance from Inde Navarrette is on an another level. Her performance has so many layers to it and she’s tapping into all sorts of emotions that just elevates the whole film. She’s giving an extremely scary but also devastating performance throughout the whole film. She’s already up there for me as one of the most iconic horror performances of the 21st century and it’s just so good. All the performances in the film are all great and everyone has something to offer to the film.
Another thing that elevates the movie is how impressive everything is from a technical aspect. The score from Rock Burwell is incredible well made. It has this eerie nostalgic sound to it where its sound peaceful, but also where something seems off about it. I think it’s great especially from this film. The cinematography from Taylor Clemons is creepy and there’s some very clever shots in this. The scene where Nikki is in the corner of the room has lived rent free in my head ever since watching it. The practical effects are incredible and props to the art direction and makeup team for making some incredible practical effects as well The craft that went into making this film is amazing to watch and everyone deserves some love for what they were able to offer.
I’m so happy to see a movie like this do amazing as it is at the box office. As I write this, it was up on its third weekend at the box office which is something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. It beat out The Mandalorian and Grogu in its second week which is absolutely insane. But I love to see it. There’s just so much to appreciate about this film and Curry Barker and his team deserve so much appreciation for the love and craft that went into making this film work as well as it does.
Obsession is a generational horror film that is going to be talked about for many years to come. I absolutely loved this film and if you can watch this in a theater, you should take that chance because it’s perfect for that setting. I’m excited to see what Curry Barker will make in the future.
Rating: 9/10
Backrooms Review
Ever since I heard the concept of liminal spaces, it’s something that has always fascinated me. Showing locations that look familiar and empty is something that feels nostalgic but so eerie when you look at the different images surrounding it. I’ve seen the whole concept of the Backrooms blow up and while I’m not too familiar with the series that Kane Parsons made, I can say that at such a young age, its impressive he was able to make this series in Blender and surround so much lore around it. So when I heard a movie surrounding the idea, I was intrigued and hoped that they could deliver on its concept. After watching it, Backrooms manages to do this and it’s another horror movie to add to the great ones that we’ve gotten this year.
The story of Backrooms pulled me in with its great introduction. Right away you can feel the tension of being in there and that’s continues throughout the film. The concept of being in a familiar place but then getting completely lost in all of it is terrifying and I think they nail that feeling here. There’s also themes of loneliness that are prevalent in the story that manage to add another layer to everything surrounding the Backrooms. The movie does a fine job as well creating suspense and I’m glad it’s not to focused on regular jump scares but instead leaving you in these empty spaces never knowing when something could appear. The story for the most part does work for me. I do think however think once it gets to the last third of the film, it does lose a bit of steam. It starts to fall a bit into some common horror tropes like having a chase scene where the character isn’t making the greatest decisions. I do like what most of the story is doing however and it makes me want to check out the other stuff set up in Kane Parsons web series.
While the writing can be on the weaker side at some points. It is luckily saved for the most part by two fantastic performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reisve. They really bring a lot to this film and I could see it suffering a bit more if they weren’t in this. They add a lot to it and you can see them giving it their all as well. Also shoutout to Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell as well who are great together and I love when we see them exploring the backrooms as well. Mark Duplass despite a small part has some time to shine in there as well. While the cast is small, it works out perfect for the film and helps with the vibe of what the backrooms are going for.
Easily my favorite part of the film is the production design. From the first scene, you are captivated seeing these locations and you feel a sense of tension as they are getting explored throughout the movie. There’s so much empty space in them where it feels uncanny showing these familiar locations be stripped down and look so unnerving. Then when it moves into the vhs segments, you are awaiting something to pop out right behind the characters. But most of the time, that doesn’t happen and there’s a sense of dread pulling you in as they go in further. This works so well with the incredible production design. I think some will be upset that their aren’t more locations that the backrooms are recognized for, but it’s still incredible and shoutout production designer Danny Vermette and the crew for making these locations comes= to life and making it terrifying in the process.
I can see why people wouldn’t like the direction that the film goes on, but I really loved what this film decided to be. It was unnerving and a treat to watch everything unravel. I was intrigued by it all and I’m glad Kane got this opportunity to tell this story for the big screen. I’m excited to see what he is going to make in the future.
Backrooms is another horror movie in the books this year that delivers in being a suspenseful and frightening time. It was a great way to adapt this concept on the big screen and I think they did it justice. There’s no doubt in my mind that we will be seeing more of it in the future and I’m excited to see where it will go. What a great time for horror movies.
Rating: 8/10
