Backrooms: Has YouTube Just Saved Hollywood?
The Rest Is Entertainment podcast explores a seismic shift in Hollywood's creative ecosystem, centered on the meteoric success of *Backrooms*—a $10 million horror film directed by 20-year-old YouTube native Kane Parsons. The film, based on a viral 2019 4chan creepypasta about liminal spaces, defied all expectations by opening with $81 million, becoming A24’s biggest debut and the second-largest horror opening of all time. What’s more astonishing is that Parsons, who never watched *Blue Velvet* or *The Shining*, built his entire career in the digital underground, mastering audience feedback through YouTube. His success, alongside that of 26-year-old director Curry Barker’s $750,000 film *Obsession*, which tripled its box office in three weeks, signals a new era: young, digitally native creators are bypassing traditional gatekeepers and redefining what a blockbuster looks like. The episode argues that Hollywood’s failure to recognize these creators—many of whom have never seen the classics they’re emulating—has left a vacuum that online communities have filled. Yet this new wave isn’t just about horror; it’s about a fundamental shift in how stories are discovered, funded, and consumed. The podcast warns that while this moment is exhilarating, it also risks flooding the market with derivative, poorly made films as studios chase the next Parsons.
Kane Parsons, a 20-year-old YouTube creator known as Cane Pixels, directed *Backrooms*, a $10M film that opened with $81M—making it the third-biggest opening of the year and A24’s largest debut.
The film’s success stems from its roots in a viral 2019 4chan creepypasta about liminal spaces, which Parsons reimagined after creating a nine-minute found footage short at age 16.
Parsons and other young creators like Curry Barker (26) have never seen classic horror films like *The Shining* or *Blue Velvet*, yet they’ve mastered audience feedback through years of YouTube content.
Hollywood’s traditional gatekeepers have failed to identify these creators, despite their proven ability to generate massive returns—*Obsession* has made 170 times its budget.
The audience for these films is overwhelmingly under 34, with 74% of *Backrooms* viewers under 34, and they’re fully engaged—no phones, no distractions, just communal immersion.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Entourage Effect: Why Celebrities Travel as a Situation
The episode opens with a satirical take on celebrity entourages, using Octopus Energy’s customer service model as a metaphor for the personalized, repeat experience that famous people demand—highlighting the human need for continuity and recognition.
Backrooms: From 4chan to $81M Box Office
“It made $81 million, the third biggest opening of the year behind Mario and Michael Jackson. Where has this movie come from? Why has it been so successful? And what does that mean?”
Kane Parsons: The 20-Year-Old YouTube Director Who Changed Cinema
“He is the youngest director ever to have a number one film. He is an unbelievable YouTube native and he was called Cane Pixels on YouTube and he made lots and lots of interesting things including music.”
The Liminal Aesthetic: How Internet Culture Birthed a Horror Phenomenon
The origins of *Backrooms* are traced to a 2019 4chan thread describing eerie, empty spaces with yellow lighting and endless corridors—later realized as an abandoned furniture store in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The YouTube to Cinema Pipeline: A New Creative Generation
The podcast draws a line from YouTube creators like Markiplier, Hayley Boston, and the Phillippe Brothers to the rise of young, self-taught directors who now dominate horror and microdrama, proving that digital platforms are the new film school.
“It made $81 million, the third biggest opening of the year behind Mario and Michael Jackson. Where has this movie come from? Why has it been so successful? And what does that mean?”
“He is the youngest director ever to have a number one film. He is an unbelievable YouTube native and he was called Cane Pixels on YouTube and he made lots and lots of interesting things including music.”
“It's called Screen Time. Have a look. And I would say if you add the success of that, which is a phenomenon to the success of Backrooms and Obsession, we are in a moment, I would say, a transitional moment.”
Hosts
backrooms
other
kane parsons
person
belly burden
person
curry barker
person
strangers
book
the tale
book
a24
organization
whitney frick
person
chewetel ejiofor
person
ronan bennett
person
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