Gen Z Horror Goes Mainstream
It is a well-known axiom in Hollywood: make a horror film, and you will never lose money on it. Horror films can be made on relatively low budgets, they do not need stars, and there are enough fans of the genre to make almost any film profitable. That is how horror movies became the playground of the Hollywood film industry, a place where emerging directors can prove their talent. But in recent years, horror films have begun to move into the mainstream, suddenly appearing in the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival and winning Oscars. The phenomenon of “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” two very cheap horror films that opened in Israel over the weekend, is beginning to emerge as the year’s most notable cinematic trend, economically and culturally. Both are debut films produced and distributed by reputable studios on tiny budgets, and both are enjoying stunning box office success. More interestingly, it seems that both films speak directly to Gen Z, which sees in them more than just jump-scare entertainment.
“Obsession” is the debut film of 26-year-old Karrie Barker, who did something no film has done in the past three years, it made more money in its second weekend than in its first. That means the audience that saw the film when it opened got its friends to go see it. The film follows a timid young man who is in love with a woman at work, who would rather they remain just friends. He finds a mysterious object that offers him the chance to make a wish, and he asks that she fall madly in love with him. His wish comes true, and his life turns into an obsessive and violent nightmare. Barker has created a nearly satirical indictment of Gen Z’s impotence, of people who cannot deal with relationships and intimacy. It is not a particularly good film, its unknown cast is average to poor, and while its turning points are extreme, they are predictable. Critic’s rating: 2 stars out of 5.
By contrast, “Backrooms,” the debut film of 20-year-old Kane Parsons, is already a more interesting cinematic adventure under the auspices of A24. Its opening weekend was hysterical at the box office, including in Israel. It also comes with a built-in fan base, since the film is based on an internet series Parsons created that went viral. It is a fairly surprising film, one that begins with an amateurish look but gradually develops into a film with cinematic vision. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a furniture-store owner frustrated by the failure of his marriage and the failure of his career. He discovers that there is some parallel universe attached to his store, a universe of back rooms that turn into an endless maze. Renate Reinsve (“Sentimental Value”) plays his psychologist, who searches for him when he disappears and becomes trapped in the maze. It is a rather opaque film that recalls the cinema of David Lynch. It is more strange and unsettling than frightening, and its horror comes from the sound rather than the image. It is an almost ideal debut film, very immature, but it makes Parsons a director worth following. Critic’s rating: 3 stars out of 5.
