Meet Hollywoods new masters of horror: YouTubers

First came “Iron Lung,” a video game adaptation self-financed and distributed by YouTuber Markiplier that stunned the box office with a massive haul.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Three months later, “Obsession,” a low-budget project from 26-year-old YouTuber Curry Barker, pulled off the rare feat of growing its box office take by 39% in its second weekend in theaters.This weekend, A24’s “Backrooms” — from 20-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons — grossed a record-breaking $81.4 million in North America and $118 million worldwide, shattering the record for the largest opening ever for a first-time director with an original film.The trend points to a new force in indie horror: YouTubers and online creators with built-in fan bases that studios are eager to reach.“Horror has always created a special connection between creators and audiences,” said Adam Lowenstein, director of the Horror Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh.“The YouTube generation understands that language.”The horror genre has long been a low-budget launching pad for filmmakers, from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1963 B-movie “Dementia 13” and George A.

Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” in 1968 to today’s online creator-driven projects.Renate Reinsve in A24's "Backrooms."A24“Talk to Me,” a 2022 film by twins Danny and Michael Philippou, was the first notable horror movie to be made by YouTube filmmakers.The supernatural thriller, about a group of teens who contact spirits using a mysterious embalmed hand, grossed $92.2 million worldwide against a $4.5 million budget.

Their next movie, 2025’s “Bring Her Back,” had triple the budget.Since then, studios have realized they can benefit from filmmakers who already generate authentic online buzz — especially with Gen Z audiences, whose theater attendance rose 25% in 2025, according to Cinema United, a trade organization that represents ...