Recent weeks have marked an unexpected turning point for the film industry. While traditional blockbusters seemed destined, like every summer, to dominate the box office, it was two independent horror films, made by very young filmmakers, which created the surprise. A spectacular contrast which could well be a landmark and herald a lasting transformation of the Hollywood landscape.
For a long time, success seemed almost guaranteed for major productions based on well-established franchises. Family action films, sequels or adaptations of popular universes were safe bets. But this summer, the trend is clearly reversing and original, low-budget works are taking over from Hollywood behemoths with colossal resources.
Two films perfectly illustrate this shift: Backrooms And Obsession. Both are independent, dark and atypical horror films, made with limited means. However, they far outperform at the box office highly anticipated productions like Masters of the Universe Or Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Groguwho struggle to attract the public despite their notoriety.
The numbers speak for themselves. Masters of the Universe only collected around $29 million (€25 million) during its launch weekend in the United States, while the last Star Wars displays disappointing performances for a franchise of this stature. Conversely, the BBC reports that Backrooms grossed more than 80 million dollars (approximately 70 million euros) in its first weekend and now exceeds 130 million (approximately 112.3 million euros) in the United States.
The case ofObsession is even more striking. Produced for less than a million dollars (approximately 865,000 euros), the film has already grossed more than 225 million dollars (approximately 194 million euros) worldwide. It even achieved the rare feat of seeing its revenues increase during its second and third weekends of operation, a phenomenon almost unprecedented since AND in 1982.
In France, the dynamic seems to follow a comparable trend, even if the enthusiasm is less than in the United States. If Backrooms has not yet been released (it will arrive in theaters on June 17), Obsession got off to a completely respectable start and last week accumulated nearly 400,000 entries in fifteen days of operation.
Seduce generation Z
Beyond revenues, it is the relationship between costs and profits that concerns the industry. Recent blockbusters often have budgets exceeding 150 to 200 million dollars (approximately 130 million to 173 million euros), to which are added significant promotional expenses. Conversely, Backrooms was produced for around $10 million (€8.6 million), and Obsession for 750,000 dollars (approximately 648,000 euros).
This renewal is largely explained by a generational evolution. The directors of these successes belong to generation Z and were trained outside of traditional circuits, notably on YouTube. Accustomed to producing, editing and distributing their content online, they master the narrative and aesthetic codes that speak to a younger audience.
The most frequent spectators today are those under 35, who attend theaters more regularly than their elders. For them, cinema constitutes both a social experience and an alternative to individual screens. A film like Backroom – whose genesis goes directly back to the internet and its uses – speaks directly to them.
More generally, the horror genre lends itself particularly well to these expectations. Inexpensive to produce, it offers an intense collective experience, made to be shared in dark rooms. In addition, these films often leave room for interpretation, which fuels debates and analyzes on social networks, reinforcing their popularity.
This does not, however, mean the end of blockbusters. The big franchises will continue to exist and occasionally dominate the box office, but their supremacy no longer seems to be as guaranteed as before. From now on, more modest films, led by young creators and in tune with contemporary expectations, can compete with – and sometimes surpass – the most expensive productions.
This shift could mark the start of a new era for cinema: an industry less dependent on franchises and more open to creativity, experimentation and new voices. If the quality is there, this could be excellent news for the cinema and for us, spectators.
