HBO Max’s New #1 Movie Is One Of The Year’s Biggest Horror Successes

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Published Sep 27, 2026, 8:09 PM EDT

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After becoming one of 2026’s biggest theatrical horror movies, the surprise hit is proving that audiences are not done getting trapped behind its creepy walls. The A24 horror film has found another wave of success following its arrival on HBO Max, quickly climbing to the top of the streaming service’s chart.

Backrooms began streaming on HBO Max on September 25, 2026. Just days after, the movie has already reached the number one spot on the streaming platform's U.S. movie chart. This achievement comes months after the movie delivered a phenomenal theatrical run that shattered expectations at the box office and broke records for A24.

Backrooms Proves Its Success Goes Beyond Theaters

The Ultimate · Horror Quote Challenge Name That Horror Movie “They’re coming to get you, Barbara.”

☠1960s

🔪1970s

👻1980s

💀1990s

🎭2000s

ENTER IF YOU DARE →

01

Which horror movie features this iconic line?

“I am your number one fan.”

ASingle White Female (1992) BCape Fear (1991) CMisery (1990) DFatal Attraction (1987)

✓ Correct! Annie Wilkes’s obsessive declaration to author Paul Sheldon in Misery — Kathy Bates won the Oscar for this role.

✗ Not quite — it’s Misery (1990). Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes delivers this line before things get very, very painful for her favorite author.

NEXT →

02

Which horror movie features this iconic line?

“We all go a little mad sometimes.”

APeeping Tom (1960) BThe Birds (1963) CWhatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) DPsycho (1960)

✓ Correct! Norman Bates’s unsettling confession in Hitchcock’s Psycho — the film that invented the slasher.

✗ Not quite — it’s Psycho (1960). Norman Bates delivers this chilling line to Marion Crane before the shower scene changes cinema forever.

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03

Which horror movie features this iconic line?

“Here’s Johnny!”

AThe Amityville Horror (1979) BPoltergeist (1982) CThe Changeling (1980) DThe Shining (1980)

✓ Correct! Jack Nicholson’s terrifying ad-lib as he axes through the bathroom door in The Shining.

✗ Not quite — it’s The Shining (1980). Nicholson improvised this line while hacking through the door — Kubrick kept the cameras rolling.

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04

Which horror movie features this iconic line?

“They’re all gonna laugh at you!”

ACarrie (1976) BThe Exorcist (1973) CThe Omen (1976) DSuspiria (1977)

✓ Correct! Margaret White’s cruel warning to her daughter before prom night turns deadly in Carrie.

✗ Not quite — it’s Carrie (1976). Piper Laurie as Margaret White torments her telekinetic daughter with this prophetic warning.

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05

Which horror movie features this iconic line?

“One, two, Freddy’s coming for you.”

AFriday the 13th (1980) BChild’s Play (1988) CHellraiser (1987) DA Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

✓ Correct! The eerie children’s jump-rope rhyme that haunts the dreams of Elm Street.

✗ Not quite — it’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). The nursery rhyme warning of Freddy Krueger’s arrival. All five are iconic slashers, but only one invades your dreams.

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06

Which horror movie features this iconic line?

“I want to play a game.”

AHostel (2005) BSaw (2004) CThe Collector (2009) DCube (1997)

✓ Correct! Jigsaw’s signature greeting, delivered through his puppet Billy in Saw.

✗ Not quite — it’s Saw (2004). The Jigsaw Killer’s chilling invitation before his victims face impossible choices.

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07

Which horror movie features this iconic line?

“It was the boogeyman.”

ABlack Christmas (1974) BThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) CHalloween (1978) DWhen a Stranger Calls (1979)

✓ Correct! Laurie Strode’s terrified whisper to Dr. Loomis after surviving Michael Myers in Halloween.

✗ Not quite — it’s Halloween (1978). Laurie Strode whispers this to Dr. Loomis, who replies: “As a matter of fact, it was.”

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08

Which horror movie features this iconic line?

“It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.”

ASe7en (1995) BAmerican Psycho (2000) CRed Dragon (2002) DThe Silence of the Lambs (1991)

✓ Correct! Buffalo Bill’s skin-crawling command to his captive in The Silence of the Lambs.

✗ Not quite — it’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Buffalo Bill delivers this disturbing line from his basement. All five films feature serial killers, but only one has this scene.

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Directed by Kane Parsons and based on his viral YouTube series, Backrooms stars Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The horror movie expands Parsons’ unsettling world of seemingly endless liminal spaces, transforming what was once a creepypasta into one of the year’s most commercially successful horror releases. The movie earned approximately $81.4 million during its domestic opening weekend and $197.5 million total in North America. Its worldwide total was $400 million.

Backrooms has proven that its success extends well beyond theaters. After becoming a major commercial hit, the film continued to attract audiences once it arrived on streaming, quickly climbing to the top of HBO Max’s movie chart. Its strong performance at home shows that interest in the film did not fade once it left theaters Instead, Backrooms has found a second life with streaming audiences, giving viewers who missed it a chance to discover the film while also allowing others to revisit it.

Backrooms Was An Overnight Sensation

Pirate Clark from Backrooms

The movie's skyrocketing popularity is very fitting considering how well-known the urban legend behind Backrooms already was. Parsons began developing his version of the concept when he was a teenager, releasing a series on YouTube in 2022. The story was told through a found-footage format and transformed the Backrooms' internet lore into something bigger.

The subject matter's pre-existing history likely has something to do with its major success. However, its performance is still very surprising considering the fact that while Backrooms technically is a franchise, it lacks the advantages of several mainstream properties. It did not begin as a traditional franchise built on decades of movies or TV shows, recognizable superheroes, or an established Hollywood director. Its audience mainly came from its online following.

Backrooms is currently streaming on HBO Max.

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Release Date May 27, 2026

Runtime 110 minutes

Director Kane Parsons

Writers Will Soodik

Producers Chris Ferguson, Dan Cohen, Dan Levine, James Wan, Jenno Topping, Kori Adelson, Michael Clear, Osgood Perkins, Peter Chernin, Roberto Patino, Shawn Levy
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