Tag: obsession

Summer 2026 Box Office Breakdown

AdamLeave a comment

Movie theaters are back! Or that’s at least what I’ve been hearing for the past month or two! Ever since that disastrous turn of events that shut down the whole world for a year or two, movie theaters all around the world has seen a significant decline in ticket and concessions sales. That hasn’t stopped Hollywood from doing everything in their power to keep the movie theater going experience alive. Even in the age of streaming, pirating, and Tik Tok, this is a battle that the movie making folks in southern California (and other parts of the world) are willing to fight until they suddenly can’t.

And I don’t think there has been a period of time that has determined just how “well” movie theaters are going throughout the 2020s than this year’s lineup of summer blockbusters, especially since we are entering the latter half of the 2020s. Six years removed of movie theaters being shutdown and two years of infamous strikes, this is probably the most “back to normal” feeling that Hollywood has felt since pre-Covid. If this summer saw yet another underperforming two to three months, then there must come serious questions as to how long movie theaters have before they go extinct.

However, now that summer of 2026 has come and gone, it’s time to see the results of how all the main feature films did in movie theaters everywhere. And the results are…….surprisingly positive. While there are certainly some baffling duds that do raise cause for concerns for certain IPs, there were plenty of notable successes that were so successful that it practically made up for all those duds. Because of that and more, 2026 is looking to be hands down the best year for movie theaters since 2019! And for the first time since Covid, that actually is saying something!

In case you are wondering how I am judging this data, I am gonna look at a chunk of wide releases that came out at the start of May to the near the end of August. I’m gonna list the film’s budget, how much the film made at the box office, what the projected break even point likely was, how much the film gain in profit, and whether or not it should been seen as a success, flop, underperformance, or break even point for the studios.

I’m only gonna use math that most tend to use when judging how a film does at the box office. Mostly by taking the budget, times that by 2.5X to cover the whole budget surrounding production and marketing, and seeing how much money it made or lose as a result.

Again, that is not the case for EVERY single one of these movies and this is NOT a direct result as to how the studios view each film from a financial standpoint. This is just my personal guess and opinion as to how each one of these films should be viewed as.

Plus, it’s also worth mentioning that ever since Covid, the definition of “success” is now quite different in the eyes of many producers in Hollywood. Who’s to say that just because a film didn’t do so great in it’s opening two weeks in theaters that the studios sees it as a failure when it became a big hit on digital and streaming? That alone could make it a “success” in the minds of studios.

It is worth remembering that a film’s overall success isn’t just determined based on how it did in theaters but also how it fared in terms of digital, streaming, and physical media sales. Just because not enough people showed up in theaters to give the film profit doesn’t mean people didn’t show it’s support when said film became accessible to all of our home media.

Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this analysis and gives you a good indication of how films are still thriving/struggling in movie theaters!

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Budget: $100 Million

Box Office: $692.8+ Million

Break Even Point: $250+ Million

Gain/Lose: $442.3+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

While hardcore fans have certainly debated the quality of this 20 years in the making sequel since it’s release, there’s no denying the massive cult following the original film has gained since 2006. And it’s that exact cult following that showed up in drones to support yet another adventure with Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. Whether it’s because of it’s timely story of AI and digital taking over the fashion industry or just wanting to spend more time with these characters, The Devil Wears Prada 2 was an absolute slam dunk for both Disney and 20th Century Fox. I wouldn’t be shocked if a third film is being discussed right at this very moment.

Mortal Kombat II

Budget: $80 Million

Box Office: $129+ Million

Break Even Point: $200+ Million

Gain/Lose: $71+ Million Loss

Verdict: Flop

Although this was certainly an improvement over the 2021 original (which grossed $80 million when over half of the movie theaters around the world was close), I doubt it’s enough for Mortal Kombat II to be considered a success in the eyes of Warner Bros. Whether it’s because of the multiple delays or divisive reception that the first one got among critics and fans alike, Mortal Kombat II just couldn’t seem to win over folks, despite it being more positively received than the original. Unless digital and streaming can come in to save the day, I would not expect a third film to be released anytime soon.

Obsession

Budget: $750,000

Box Office: $750,000

Box Office: $505.7+ Million

Break Even Point: $1.875+ Million

Gain/Lose: $493+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

The breakout hit of the summer that is still leaving the higher ups at Hollywood shaking their heads, wondering how in the world they did NOT see this coming?! A supernatural horror film that is fully original being made by a YouTuber that hardly anyone in the industry heard about and feature a cast of actors and actresses that hardly anyone in the industry heard about, ending up being one of the most shocking success stories in modern film history! Obsession was able to defy any sort of expectations that might’ve been leveled against it and then some! Throughout the summer, it went toe-to-toe with the likes of Star Wars, He-Man, DC Comics, Disney Live-Action, and the great Steven Spielberg…..and actually WON! Congrats to Curry Baker, Inde Navarrette, and everyone involved with Obsession, enjoy this glorious success, you deserve every bit of it!

The Mandalorian & Grogu

Budget: $165 Million

Box Office: $345.7+ Million

Break Even Point: $412.5+ Million

Gain/Lose: $66.8+ Million Loss

Verdict: Underperformed

I called it at the beginning of this year and I (unfortunately) was completely right! It’s still baffling that Disney and Lucasfilm thought that Star Wars’ triumphant return to cinema should consist of three to four episodes of a Disney Plus series that most people stop caring about over half a decade ago. With the near non-existence marketing and a very vague plot synopsis, The Mandalorian & Grogu was more in-line with the The Clone Wars animated film from 2008 than any of the “official” Star Wars films (And that’s totally NOT because both films where originally meant to be several episodes of their own respective shows and JUST so happens to have Jabba the Hutt’s son in it). I’m sure Disney Plus numbers and merchandise will be enough to save this from being a complete financial disaster in the eyes of stock holders but the fact it’s solely reliant on that is a good indicator just where Star Wars is right now. Let’s hope that Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling are up to the task of restoring the legacy of Star Wars next year with Starfighter or else the Dave Filoni era of Lucasfilm could be over before it even begins.

Backrooms

Budget: <$10 Million

Box Office: $394.1+ Million

Break Even Point: <$25+ Million

Gain/Loss: $371.5+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

Another surprise “original” hit that no one saw coming. Granted, unlike with Obsession, Backrooms already did have an established fanbase, as it is based on a series of web shorts on YouTube created by director Kane Parsons. However, that still doesn’t change the fact that it was still able to stand strong on it’s own and even surpassed many other established IPs this summer that I’ve already mentioned. Perhaps if the audience’s reception was on the level of Obsession, it might’ve been able to gain enough legs to cross the 400 million dollar mark. Even so, another terrific success story that will surely usher in a new era of filmmaking among social media influencers, for better or worse (most certainly worse)!

Scary Movie (2026)

Budget: $30 Million

Box Office: $231.4+ Million

Break Even Point: $75+ Million

Gain/Loss: $156.4+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

The return to form horror spoof franchise was able to make it’s 13-year long return look pretty easy. Despite the negative reviews and divisive fan reception, it was still able to make it’s money back and then some, becoming the highest grossing Scary Movie sequel to date (inflation aside). Between this, last year’s The Naked Gun, and the upcoming Grown Ups 3, it looks like we are now seeing the doors being open for more raw horror/anti-woke/politically incorrect comedies for the immediate future. And I’m sure it will absolutely NOT get old and tiresome very fast!

Masters of the Universe

Budget: $170+ Million

Box Office: $114+ Million

Break Even Point: $285+ Million

Gain/Loss: $171+ Million Loss

Verdict: Flop….but

In almost ALL circumstances, Masters of the Universe (2026) would be seen as an absolute bomb, barley able to make pass just a $100 million globally despite it’s $175 million budget and being based of the He-Man IP. However, when it comes to Amazon MGM and Mattel, they are clearly looking more at how the film does in terms of streaming and merchandise numbers. And thus far, Masters of the Universe (2026) has been a MASSIVE hit for both Amazon Prime AND for Mattel toys/action figures! Similar to last year’s F1, the purpose of the film’s existence isn’t so much to make all the money in the world at the box office but more to introduce He-Man to a new generation, hoping that the film itself will be remember upon leaving movie theaters everywhere and gain new fans among younger demographics. And if the strong numbers for Amazon Prime and Mattel are any indication, we MIGHT just see Masters of the Universe continue in some way, shape, or form in the future. Again, if we are looking at just box office numbers, it’s an absolute flop! But whether or not Amazon and Mattel both feel that way remains to be seen!

Disclosure Day

Budget: $115 Million

Box Office: $241+ Million

Break Even Point: $287.5+ Million

Gain/Loss: $46.5+ Million Loss

Verdict: Underperformed

Despite the marketing painting this as a glorious return to form for Stephen Spielberg and the OG “disaster” film of the summer, Disclosure Day most certainly didn’t live up to the box office projections that Universal thought they were getting. Although it did get decent legs in the latter half of it’s theater run (most likely due to it being the only main “adult” film released until The Odyssey), it’s polarizing response from audiences clearly didn’t help, with many feeling like the film didn’t live up to it’s title. Even as someone that is a strong defender of the film, I definitely understand those that want a film to be a complete package with no loose ends whatsoever would be disappointed by it. There could be a chance that this film will find it’s audience in terms of digital and streaming but I’m sure Universal and Spielberg themselves thought that THIS would be the breakout original hit of the summer…..and it just wasn’t.

Toy Story 5

Budget: $250 Million

Box Office: $1.136+ Billion

Break Even Point: $625+ Million

Gain/Loss: $545+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

Despite everyone and their mom constantly claiming that this series should have ended after 3 until they are blue in the face, that didn’t stop Toy Story 5 for being yet another $1 billion grosser for Mickey Mouse and crew, performing as the highest grossing Toy Story film to date (Again, inflation aside!). It’s timely plot involving tablets and electronics taking over the lives of modern children most certainly played a benefit to the audience’s glowing response to it, along with seeing our cowgirl Jessie getting more screentime than last time out. And unlike another big animated film released this summer, it had a decent seven-year long wait that kept enough distance from audience to justify another Toy Story adventure that they would want to see. Post-Toy Story 3 naysayers be damned, I’m sure Disney and Pixar will be coming out with a Toy Story 6 with Buzz Lightyear front in center sooner than you would think (Just don’t make it like Lightyear, please!).

Supergirl

Budget: $170-$186 Million

Box Office: $126.4+ Million

Break Even Point: $425-$465+ Million

Gain/Loss: $298.6-$338.6+ Million in Loss

Verdict: Flop

Another big flop that I (unfortunately) saw coming from a mile away. From it’s questionable release date to it’s lackluster trailers to it’s nightmare PR, Supe’s cousin had a hard time finding any sort of audience in the theaters this summer. As I sadly predicted, Supergirl was the most heartbreaking bombs of the summer, falling into the same “female-led movies made for men” wheelhouse with 2024’s Furiosa and last summer’s Ballerina, only not having any fandom goodwill attached to it. Mr. Gunn and company better hope that Man of Tomorrow delivers next summer or else this new DC Universe might just be over before it even got a chance to settle in, (and that’s not even mentioning the GIANT elephant in the room that’s about to swallow Warner Bros Discovery up).

Jackass: Best and Last

Budget: $10 Million

Box Office: $27.8+ Million

Break Even Point: $25+ Million

Gain/Loss: $2.8+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Broke Even

For a movie that had little to no marketing and was basically thrown into movie theaters at the very last second, this is about as good as it could get. I don’t know if this has to do with Paramount realizing the shift away from streaming and shift towards movie theaters or Mr. Ellison proving his point on releasing up to 30 films a year once he acquires you know what, I’m at least glad that Johnny Knoxville and friends were able to get Jackass: Best and Last in the seats for their last hooray! If only they actually bother to market the damn thing and over half of the movie wasn’t just deleted stunts from the previous movie! Only then, this could’ve ended up being among the highest grossing Jackass films of all time.

Minions & Monsters

Budget: $85+ Million

Box Office: $514+ Million

Break Even Point: $212.5+ Million

Gain/Loss: $301.5+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

Yes, this will (likely) be the lowest grossing installment in the Despicable Me franchise by quite a big margin and was clearly affected by circumstances such as the World Cup, America’s 250th birthday, the massive heat wave, and potential audience fatigue of those walking, talking corn puffs. However, thanks to it’s very tight budget and billions of dollars earned in merchandising, Minions & Monsters still made more than enough to be considered a hit. However, considering this is the SEVENTH overall installment with the Minions since 2010 and the THIRD installment that we have gotten with them since 2022, it might be time for Illumination to take a break with their beloved/infamous mascots and revisited some of their other properties. And considering that Universal are dipping their toes back to the wells of Shrek and The Secret Life of Pets, it seems they might be doing just that. This is STILL a success but it might be a little while before we are reunited with Gru and the minions once again.

Moana (2026)

Budget: $250+ Million

Box Office: $315+ Million

Break Even Point: $625+ Million

Gain/Loss: $310+ Million Loss

Verdict: Flop

I don’t know if the motive to do a live-action remake of a Disney animated film that came out just ten years ago had to do with corporate greed or The Rock needing a quick hit after his attempt at jumpstarting DC Comics (Black Adam) and going for an Oscar (The Smashing Machine) fell flat but Moana (2026) could have NOT made the higher ups at Disney particularly happy regardless of which way you look at it. Even in a crowded summer of family friendly blockbusters, I don’t think people expected for this to fail THIS hard! Maybe it was just way too early to do a live-action remake of Moana OR the audience fatigue with these live-actions remakes are settling in with Lilo & Stitch (2025) being just a fluke?! Regardless, Disney might need to start carefully considering which animated classics they chose to do a live-action remake for to avoid big losses like this for the future.

Evil Dead Burn

Budget: $20 Million

Box Office: $72.3+ Million

Break Even Point: $50+ Million

Gain/Loss: $22.3 Million in Profit

Verdict: Broke Even

Releasing a horror film like this in the middle of summer is still a baffling choice in my mind, but that didn’t stop Evil Dead Burn from doing JUST enough to keep it from being a total failure. Even with the lack of marketing or the possible franchise indifference now, I don’t think Warner Bros should be too upset with how this did, especially compared to their other failures in 2026. A Spring or Fall release date might have faired this much better but considering this was released under the worst circumstances, this was still good enough.

The Odyssey

Box Office: $250 Million

Box Office: $1.555+ Billion

Break Even Point: $625+ Million

Gain/Loss: $930+ Million in Profit

Verdict: Hit

Perhaps the profit numbers are a bit exaggerated with extra marketing and budget numbers probably added in there, but make no mistake, The Odyssey is a MASSIVE hit! The haters can point to the inflated numbers and the amount of “ghost” seats in the theaters all they want but you would be lying through your damn teeth if you claim that Universal is NOT happy with the results for The Odyssey. Christopher Nolan sought out to make a definite version of The Odyssey that will go down in history as one of the greatest cinematic achievements of the decade and he did just that. What’s even more crazy is that it is STILL selling out seats over two months later, which can push this to $1.7+ Billion total by the time it finally gets let out of theaters. Between this and the next movie I’m about to talk about, this was the one-two knock out punch that the summer movie season DESPERATELY needed to save any kind of face from it’s overall shortcomings! Rock on, Nolan!

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Box Office: $225+ Million

Box Office: $2.335+ Billion

Break Even Point: $562.5+ Million

Gain/Loss: $1.772+ Billion

Verdict: Hit

Let’s be honest, NONE of us saw this coming! Sure, we all knew that Spidey was gonna be an easy billion dollar hit but I don’t think anyone expected THIS! Not only managing to outgrossing one of the most successful films of all time in No Way Home (which included THREE Spider-Men and all of their memorable villains) but it’s able to stand up their with the likes of Avatar, Titanic, and Avengers: Endgame, by being one of the ONLY two billion dollar grosses of all time. Spider-Man: Brand New Day was able to deliver the right amount of twists and turns and surprises that are to be found here, all which work as not just fun fan service and crowd pleasing moments but also plays actual, legit importance of a role to the film’s overall themes and messages. You have the Punisher, the Incredible Hulk, *SPOILER ALERT* and Yelena, A.K.A. the new Black Widow, that are present and accounted for here. Yes, I know the buzz killers out there will bring up inflation and the ACTUAL number of ticket prices but come on, regardless if this movie came out in 2026 or 2006, this is still an INCREDIBLY achievement. Tom Holland and Zendaya better put their retirement plans on acting on hold because with the way things are going on, Sony and Marvel are gonna make them do their roles until they are 90! (*whispers* UNTIL YOU ARE 90! *whispers*)

The End of Oak Street

Budget: $80-92 Million

Box Office: $107+ Million

Break Even Point: $200-$230+ Million

Gain/Lose: -$93-$123+ Million

Verdict: Flop

The verdict here is quite a head scratcher. Considering it’s overall positive reviews, it’s superbly talented cast, and tackling a genre sandbox most mainstream moviegoers absolute LOVE in dinosaurs, The End of Oak Street should have been an easy mini-win. Whether it’s because of it’s high budget or controversy surrounding the film’s AI-generated marketing, it seems like dinos don’t sell to the audience unless it’s related to something Jurassic Park or World. Maybe it will gain enough legs down the road and streaming numbers to pump it up to the break even point, but yeah, quite disappointing.

Insidious: Out of the Further

Budget: $18 Million

Box Office: $110.3+ Million

Break Even Point: $45+ Million

Gain/Lose: $65.3+ Million

Verdict: Hit

While it’s too early to claim if this will be up there with among the most highest grossing films of the franchise, Insidious: Out of the Further still manages to continues the series overall consistency in box office numbers. Regardless of it’s release date, Insidious still seems to do just fine no matter when it comes out. It may no longer reinvent the wheel for horror but it’s still able to make the best out of it’s limited budget and can keep the brand going just as long as enough people still show up for it. Bring on Insidious 7!

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie

Budget: $40 Million

Box Office: $125+ Million

Break Even Point: $100+ Million

Gain/Lose: $25+ Million

Verdict: Hit

This would probably be at the break even verdict had this movie came out a few months ago but since it will likely still be in theaters at least for another month and there’s no major kids movie coming out until Forgotten Island, I’m willing to bet it will make more in profit in terms of theater, digital, and streaming that Paramount will be more than happy with the results of Paw Patrol. Like a handful of successes this summer, just keep the budgets low and deliver on crowd pleasing thrills and you will be surprised how much money you will get back as a result.

When you take all the box office results into account with the ways that most film analysts use to determine if the movie is a success or failure, this summer has had a total of TEN movies that should be considered hits, five movies that should be considered bombs (with one potential exception thanks to streaming), two movies that underperformed, and two other movies that did just enough to break even.

With these results, I am more than happy to say the movie theaters are indeed coming back and for the first time since Covid-19, it seems like it is FINALLY headed towards a positive direction. Yes, it’s a shame that The Mandalorian & Grogu and Disclosure Day underperformed as they did and Supergirl and Moana (2026) were the gigantic bombs that they were, there was just WAY too much success stories to completely right this summer off.

You had Toy Story 5 being another billion dollar animated grosser for Disney, you had The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Scary Movie (2026) being able to ride the legacy-quel wave to become solid hits, you had The Odyssey being the massive theatrical event that it was advertised to be and practically bringing back the good old days of movie theaters, you had Spider-Man: Brand New Day killing all Marvel/superhero fatigue narratives yet again to become only the THIRD two billion dollar juggernaut of all time, and of course, you can NOT forget two of the greatest cinematic success story in recent memory than with Obsession and Backrooms. Even a low grossing franchise installment like Minions & Monsters was STILL able to cross the half billion dollar mark and gain plenty of revenue for Universal and Illumination Animation. Throw early year hits such as Scream 7, Hoppers, Project Hail Mary, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Michael and I would say that movie theaters have been eating quite good for 2026.

While I don’t know movie theaters will EVER be able to capture the same magic they were able to before 2020, 2026 is prove that there is still a massive audience and demographic for the film going experience. This might just be the start of a big shift that we are seeing with how we view our entertainment. With streaming prices going up, more studio mergers happening, and owning digital media no longer having that special ownership feeling as physical media, you can sense there’s a chance of vibes, especially among younger audiences, of the way they go about seeing the newest film releases.

Because of that and more, there is still plenty of hope for movie theaters! There are still plenty of changes that need to be made (lower ticket prices/concessions, longer theatrical windows, longer time waiting for films to come to digital/streaming, more movie subscriptions/clubs….etc.) but if studios keep going with this direction while being able to contain a sustainable budget with most big movies they released, there might still be hope for movie theaters yet!

Top 10 Best Movies of 2026 (So Far)

AdamLeave a comment

Hey, everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your 4th of July weekend! As we exit June and enter July, that means we are already halfway through 2026! Because of that, I might as well give you all my pick for the top 10 best movies of the year so far!

Keep in mind, I have not seen every single movie that has released in 2026 and there might just be a critically praised movie that you love that I have just not gotten around to yet. Also, these rankings are NOT set in stone and are subject to change as the year goes on. For all I know, my #10 on the list could possibly end up being my #1 favorite movie of the year.

Although there is still PLENTY of films to come out for the remainder of the year, these are the ten films that has affected me in the best ways for the first six months of 2026!

10.) Backrooms

While I’m not quite on the love boat with this one, I’m sure as hell on the respect boat. I love the original atmosphere and unique setting that Kane Parsons has created here, making the backrooms itself a fascinating place to explore whenever we are able to get to it. I did wish the overall narrative had more meat to it and Parsons didn’t have to keep coming up with contrived excuses for his characters to keep showing up to the backrooms. And I’m still scratching my head on the resolution to the whole thing. However, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are great here and there are still plenty of seeds that have yet to be grown in the world that is Backrooms that I’m curious to visit yet again in the future. I can see this being a series of films that only gets better from here on out. 

9.) The Sheep Detectives

Well, what do you know. Who would’ve guessed that a film about a literal talking sheep in live-action could end up being this heartwarming and cozy?! Even if it can be a bit too silly at times, The Sheep Detectives just tugs at your heartstrings in the best of ways and Hugh Jackman is as much as a welcome presence as he always has been on the big screen. If you are someone that adores the new Paddington movies, this might just well in your wheel house.

8.) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

It made have taken a second try but 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is able to deliver the complete full package I wanted from the previous 28 Years Later film from last year, while standing as perhaps the best installment in this franchise since the original. The acting is terrific, the horror and gore will disgust you in the most delightful ways imaginable, and it is still able to follow the franchise’s overall themes by continuing to offer fresh, new, and different perspectives about a world that has plunged into total chaos without taking you out of it or even inviting comparisons to the world that we are currently live in. I sure hope this is able to find it’s audience through digital and streaming because if not, then MAN are they missing out!

7.) Hoppers

Hoppers is a showcase of what happens with Pixar allows themselves to let loose and forge their own path to creativity. The film has it’s own distinct animation style that compliments the storytelling without it being too overbearing or “in your face”, the characters are all likeable with their own relatable goals that anyone can get behind, it’s easily among the funniest Pixar movie in years, and despite prior reports of Disney’s efforts to downplay the themes of environmentalism, it’s able to get that exact message across in as much of a profound way as Pixar was able to in 2008 with Wall-E. It may take it’s time in getting to that exact point in the ways that it was intend and does have one or two cringeworthy lines about how “aware” it is of it’s own premise but the pay-offs by the latter half of Hopper makes it the whole experience feel worth it! While there are those out there that claim Toy Story 5 or Minions & Monsters as their animated film of the year, I’m still sticking by this one.

6.) Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die

After coming out of the closet making the criminally underrated A Cure For Wellness, Gore Verbinski is back to take a stance on the biggest global crisis at the moment, Artificial Intelligence. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die sees Sam Rockwell from the future to give us all a warning on how the robots and machines are taking over and it’s up to choices that we make now that can set the course to a much brighter path forward. The cast is greats, the visuals are aces, the ending is as poignant it comes, and it’s super refreshing for a movie to not have any subtly whatsoever to get it’s message across. Although Verbinski’s direction won’t be suitable for anyone, this is a solid watch.

5.) Send Help

Can we point out how much of a miracle that a film like Send Help exists? In an age of sequels, reboots, remakes, and legacy-quels conquering the film landscape and sucking up the remaining creative energy that Hollywood might still have, films like these are becoming more diamonds in the rough in the film industry. Thankfully, someone at 20th Century Fox or Disney was wise enough to give a blank check to the godfather of horror and superhero movies in Sam Raimi, his first original horror film since 2009’s Drag Me To Hell! Send Help is yet another worthy addition to Raimi’s Hall of Fame of Horror! It’s able to capitalize on it’s simple yet effective premise thanks to it’s two charismatic leads, it’s incredibly visionary direction, unapologetically excessive gore, and a script that will keep audiences on their toes the whole way through. Even if the ending leaves out a bit too many unanswered questions, it’s still an absolute blast of a motion picture that is definitely worth seeing on the big screen.

4.) Disclosure Day

Despite it’s polarizing reception, Disclosure Day is a very entertaining and engaging ride that makes for another fine addition to the “NOT a Marvel/Star Wars/IP movie” collection of the 2026 summer movie season. The cast is terrific, Spielberg is clearly having a blast making a movie about aliens again, and the screenplay is able to have it’s cake-and-eat-it-too, operating as both a solid thriller and a layer filled character study that will have plenty of delightful “explain” videos made for it. Not every single question the audience have will be answered but the ones that does is given a proper answer while the ones it choses to leave in the balance might just be for the better. It may not be quite S-Tier Steven Spielberg but Disclosure Day is more than enough proof that the godfather of blockbuster cinema still got plenty in the tank left in him and should still be treated with grace and dignity with each new film he releases. Even if not everybody will buy what Disclosure Day has to say about humanity and how the truth can lead to unity, it is bittersweet to see Steven actually try and perhaps that is what matters more than anything.

3.) The Furious

Have you been wanting to see a spiritual successor to The Raid 2 for the past 12 years?! Have you been anxious to see a balls-to-the-wall non-stop action thrill ride in the 2020s that is NOT John Wick?! Did you want to see a movie that takes the same plot and premise surrounding stopping human traffickers as Supergirl (2026) but done right?! Well, look no further than The Furious! An action packed masterwork that has no agenda other than delivering on over-the-top fight scenes, performing some of the greatest stunts and practical set pieces you have seen in years, and give you simplistic characters with human goals that you want to root for! Sometimes, there is nothing better for a film than riding with pure simplicity, without a care in the world of what lengths and leaps of logic it is willing to go to deliver the goods. Regardless of what way you chose to watch it, please check out The Furious ASAP!

2.) Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary is an incredibly well made, extremely well acted, and very well paced sci-fi thriller that works not just as a faithful adaption of the critically acclaimed book from Andy Weir (The Martian) but it also stands strongly as it’s own cinematic experience and a thematically moving think tank surrounding art and science . There is not a single second that is boring or uninteresting, Ryan Gosling is pitch perfect in the lead role as Grace and has great chemistry with his so-called co-star, it has a perfectly controlled tone that knows when to be funny, serious, and moving when it’s absolutely required, and even if you can see the inspiration from your favorite sci-fi flick from the 2010s (Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian, Arrival, Mr. Gosling’s own First Man! Take your pick!), it is able to have it’s own unique identity while telling a distinct story about the importance of loyalty, friendship, unity, and sacrifice. While it’s certainly not the most flawless film I’ve ever seen and I’m sure there will be nits to be picked from fans of the book, I can’t imagine Project Hail Mary being a better version of itself than what Mr. Lord and Mr. Miller was able to deliver here.

1.) Obsession

The most talked about film of 2026 is my absolute favorite thus far! I don’t think I’ve seen a film where the whole message of “Be careful what you wish for!” has been executed this well and scary! The directing by Curry Barker is top notch, the performances are all great, it has a nice blend of horror thrills and laughter that I don’t any other director would be able to combine brilliantly, and the ending still haunts me weeks after seeing the movie. It’s also makes for a perfect subversion to have the main protagonist practically being the villain of the film, being forced to face the consequences of the choice he made strictly for his own pleasure. Inde Navarrette deserves a damn Oscar for her performance and it’s yet another brilliant original horror film to go with all of the other brilliant horror films we have gotten so far this decade! If this is the future for not just original horror but original films in general, there might just be a light at the end of the tunnel for future cinema.

Happy 250th Day everybody! Enjoy with prosper!

What The Success of Obsession and Backrooms REALLY Means!

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The two films that everyone is talking about at the moment are Obsession and Backrooms! Two films that are not only very good horror film debuts from talented young blood that originated straight from YouTube but they also managed to steal the spotlight away from the latest Star Wars film, The Mandalorian & Grogu! As the newest addition to a galaxy far and away completely crashed and burn at the box office in just it’s second weekend in theaters, Obsession and Backrooms was able to perfectly pick up that slack, with the former gaining some of the best box office legs from any film in recent memory and the latter awarding A24 their biggest opening weekend in their history.

To say this has opened the eyes and ears of the film industry would be a massive understatement! The success of these two films are clearly proving several points all at the same time! Not only is it proving that successful original films are indeed alive and well with a clear audience desire for them but it’s also proves that Gen Z does indeed love going to the movie theaters and are basically the group that is gonna help keep the movie theater going experience alive for the foreseeable future. You just need the right kind of films that is able to perfectly capture the hearts of the right kind of audience and they will show up in drones! While there have been plenty of other examples in recent memory to back up those claims, the success of Obsession and Backrooms is something truly special!

However, there have been a few bold claims that many are saying after these two horror flicks were able to give The Mandalorian & Grogu a run for it’s money this weekend! Not only does this mean that Star Wars as a whole is officially dead but blockbuster flicks based on long-running established IPs are officially dead! Never mind the fact that The Devil Wears Prada 2 was able to secure double the grosses that the original made just a month ago! Never mind the fact that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is getting so close to a billion dollars that it can TASTE IT! Never mind the fact that the likes of Toy Story 5, Minions & Monsters, Moana (2026), Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Dune: Part Three, and Avengers: Doomsday are still having yet to come out for the rest of the year, short-budgeted horror films made by YouTubers is the ONLY future of filmmaking and Obsession and Backrooms is prove of that! I find that line of thinking to be incredibly flawed!

Don’t get me wrong, Obsession and Backrooms are both INCREDIBLE cinematic achievements for Curry Baker and Kane Parsons! I’m proud of the fact that these films are thriving whereas corporate slop like The Mandalorian & Grogu are being rejected! It’s prove that audiences do indeed have some bit of standards for the quality of today’s films that they chose to spend their hard earned money on, especially in our not practically great economy! But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, there is still a big place for big blockbuster films, it’s just that there is now a big place for original and thought provoking films as well!

Just imagine you are an owner of a movie theater right now! Would you be really applauding the fact that a big blockbuster film like The Mandalorian & Grogu is tanking hard at the box office all because previously lesser knowns films such as Obsession and Backrooms is killing it? Do you really want one big film to flop so hard that a couple of other smaller films can fill whatever sinking hole that other film caused? I’m pretty sure your answer is gonna be a clear no!

Movie theaters want and NEED both of these kind of films to succeed. They need the kind of films from beloved and established IPs to do absolute gangbusters at the box office AND they need the kind of lower budgeted and more independently made films released to help fill in that big hole in between each newly released big film that comes out to cover for any potential theatrical drought they might have. While I’m sure movie theater owners are more than happy that Obsession and Backrooms are selling tickets at a daily pace that I don’t anyone could possibly imagine, they would also prefer that The Mandalorian & Grogu would also be a big hit as well as a special icing on the cake.

The big question that everyone is asking after Obsession and Backrooms is what can Hollywood and movie studios learn from this? Should they take more changes with young and famous YouTubers and social media influencers and less on folks coming straight out of film school? Should they pump the brakes on corporate slop and remember to put quality over quantity with their biggest IPs? Should they just give up on big IPs such as Marvel and Star Wars all together because of their recent track record and invest more in originality of any kind? While those are the kind of questions that everyone is asking right now, I think one important one is being left out. That one question being: Why not leave room for more?

Why can’t we have huge blockbuster films that are huge events and potential billion dollar grossers every year AND also have impressive original films from young filmmakers that is also able to make bank at the box office each year? Shouldn’t we be encouraging BOTH of those kinds of films to exist side-by-side each other? It’s not like we have to live with one instead of the another, we can actually live in the best of both worlds for a change. There should be room for both big feature films AND little original films to shine! THAT is the kind of diversity and variety that the industry will need if they are to thrive in the future!

With more and more mergers coming into fruition, more independent films such as Obsession and Backrooms are needed now more than ever! After acquisitions such as Disney buying Fox and Paramount buying Warner Bros, it’s clear that studios are going to put the majority of their focus on pumping out big blockbusters films and less on smaller and more independent films. There will always be one or two of them that will be able to squeeze through the system but for the most part, you are likely to get more Minecraft movies than you would films like Sinners and One Battle After Another. Holes will need to be filled to plug in that gape for fresh and original films to still be able to shine, providing that variety of selected films made for theaters that major studios aren’t bothering to invest in anymore. That is where films like Obsession and Backrooms will be able to come in and why indie studios such as A24 and Focus Features exist.

I have nothing against main blockbuster films being released just as I have nothing against films like Obsession and Backrooms blossoming in theater screens before our very eyes. My question is: Why can’t we be championing both? We should be celebrating when good blockbuster films do well at the box office AND when good independent films do well at the box office as well. We don’t have to cancel one in favor of the other. And I’m sure movie theaters from all across the world would agree with what I just said.

After the success of Obsession and Backrooms and the underperformance of The Mandalorian & Grogu thus far, I do hope this isn’t so much a sign that audiences are tired of blockbuster films and hungry for strictly independent films but more that they are hungry for QUALITY and less on slop. While I know less than stellar films such as Lilo & Stitch (2025) and The Minecraft Movie were able to make big bucks at the box office with Minions & Monsters and Moana (2026) likely to join them next month, the fact that actual great recent films like Sinners, F1, Project Hail Mary, and now Obsessions and Backrooms were able to become the financial smash hits they did should be a statement that quality DOES matter for a film to be successful and not just brand recognition.

The biggest takeaway right now should be that audiences have a desire to see ANY kind of films in theaters that is guarantee to give them their full money’s worth. No matter if it’s a blockbuster or an independent film, audiences still want to go to movie theaters, studios just need to keep giving them a reason to do so. And the fact that it’s been confirmed that the past month has had the highest box office grosses for May since 2019 should speak volume to that!

Tune in next time after the studios learn the absolute WRONG lesson from everything I just said, while giving a blank check to MrBeast to direct whatever the hell he wants and Disney announces The Devil Wears Prada 3 and Toy Story 6 very soon!

Also, I might as well give my mini-reviews for both of these movies!

Obsession– Probably my favorite film of the year thus far! I don’t think I’ve seen a film where the whole message of “Be careful what you wish for!” has been executed this well and scary! The directing by Curry Barker is top notch, the performances are all great, it has a nice blend of horror thrills and laughter that I don’t any other director would be able to combine brilliantly, and the ending still haunts me weeks after seeing the movie. It’s also a nice little subversion to have the main protagonist practically being the villain of the film, being forced to face the consequences of the choice he made strictly for his own pleasure. Inde Navarrette deserves a damn Oscar for her performance and it’s yet another brilliant original horror film to go with all of the other brilliant horror films we have gotten so far this decade! Highly recommended! I give this a perfect four out of four stars!

Backrooms– I’m not quite sure I’m on the love boat with this one but I’m sure as hell on the respect boat. I love the original atmosphere and unique setting that Kane Parsons has created here, making the backrooms itself a fascinating place to explore whenever we are able to get to it. I did wish the overall narrative had more meat to it and Parsons didn’t have to keep coming up with contrived excuses for his characters to keep showing up to the backrooms. And I’m still scratching my head on the resolution to the whole thing. However, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are great here and there are still plenty of seeds that have yet to be grown in the world that is Backrooms. I can see this being a series of films that only gets better from here on out. I give this a three out of four stars!