The Future of Film

Young creators are done waiting.

Obsession art by Agustin R. Michel

The best forms of creativity arise when someone has something inside of them that they need to get out.

In these moments, they aren’t stalled by excuses or discouragement. Instead, they search tirelessly for ways to have their ideas realized.

In the past month, two low-budget films have taken box offices by storm: *Backrooms (2026) and [Obsession](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37287335/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_obses)* (2026).

Obsession was directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker, and Backrooms by 20-year-old Kane Parsons. On a budget of $750,000, Obsession has grossed over $150M worldwide. With its theatrical run recently extended, $200M is well within reach.

In less than a week, Backrooms has already generated $126M worldwide against a $10M price tag for production. This has quickly elevated the film to A24’s highest-grossing project, with no signs of slowing down. It’s leapfrogged the indie studio’s previous top 3 projects, *Marty Supreme (2025), [Everything Everywhere All at Once](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6710474/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_everything) (2022), and [Civil War](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17279496/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_civil%20war)* (2024).

[embed]Tenacious Filmmakers Don’t make excuses, make films.medium.com

Whenever there’s a phenomenon in the film industry, the true lessons to be learned often get overlooked. Studios fall over themselves in an attempt to reproduce the success, throwing anything at the wall that even remotely resembles the original formula. Fans and movie-goers believe the new trends will never end, and although they typically have some staying power, ultimately, Hollywood always cycles to the next thing.

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While Barker and Parsons are the deserving talk of the town, people are already trying to shift the topics. If someone calls for more Gen-Z writers and directors, someone else says that they should also be “people of color.” Others look at the success of these two movies and ask, “How does a 20-year-old have enough money/connections to just ‘be’ a director?”

To the first point, I can’t be the only one who’s exhausted with the discussions about race. While someone would say I have that luxury, no reasonable person would advocate for selection or advancement that isn’t merit-based. As a person of color myself, I never watched something I was enjoying and thought, “Where are all the Hispanics? Why aren’t there more people who look like me? How can I achieve my dreams if someone similar to me hasn’t done it before?” Anyone serious about art would prefer the best content to rise to the top. Why would it matter who created it?

As far as “money, connections, and opportunity” are concerned. Barker and Parsons created their own.

Barker cut his teeth as the sketch comedy duo, “that’s a bad idea,” and leveraged the YouTube channel’s success into more ambitious projects, such as the “no-budget” ($800) horror film, *Milk & Serial (2024). Written and directed by Barker himself, he proved his voice, his vision, and most importantly, his willingness to work. No matter the industry, people will always* take notice of this.

Given his age, Parsons’ path to success started very young. While some would like to assume nepotism or some other advantage, the truth is that Kane’s parents divorced when he was 7, and although they were (and continue to be) supportive of him, he served as his own driving force. Self-taught in VFX and Blender animation software, he started creating his own short films at 14. By the age of 16, his Backrooms concept had gone viral, garnering millions of views and a fanbase thirsty for more.

When we see others enjoy success, it’s natural to ask, “Why not me?,” but we should be honest with ourselves about the answers.

Someone who’s simply sitting around, waiting to catch a break or hoping someone else puts things into motion for them will likely end up waiting forever. A true creator makes their own luck. The seriousness of their dreams is often matched by the effort they’re willing to put toward them.

Everyone who has something to say should say it. Everyone who wants to create should do it.

The world is watching.

[embed]Excuses Are as Addictive as They Are Useless We’ve all been guilty of using excuses, hiding behind them, and withholding our greatness from ourselves.medium.com