The A24 horror film The Backrooms has climbed to the top of the HBO Max charts, surpassing the DC film Supergirl. This low-budget adaptation of an internet legend had already grossed over $400 million at the box office.
In recent years, low-budget horror films have consistently delivered box office returns exceeding their production budgets. The Backrooms was filmed with a budget of approximately $10 million and achieved a global opening weekend box office of $118 million, becoming A24's highest-grossing film. In comparison, Supergirl had a production cost of around $170 million or more, with a theatrical box office of approximately $126 million.
The Backrooms is based on the online "Backrooms" legend: yellow walls, seemingly endless corridors, and the unease of stumbling into an unfamiliar space. The original concept lacked a substantial plot. Director Kane Parsons previously created related videos on YouTube, which garnered millions of views before he brought the story to the big screen.
The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, and Mark Duplass. It holds an 86% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. Following its theatrical release, The Backrooms has now topped the HBO Max charts.
A sequel to The Backrooms is already in the works. Parsons previously stated that the story was always intended to explore a broader world.