Table of Contents
Summer is a uniquely exciting time for horror movies; exploring the wilderness, warm late nights, and vacationing with friends are all tried and true premises for the genre. With the release of Sinners and Weapons last summer, the horror canon is continuously expanding with creative new projects. This summer will see the release of several new horror movies, many of which are feature-length debuts.
Obsession premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in September and is scheduled for release in theaters on May 15th. So far, it has received positive reviews from critics, with comparisons to the work of Zach Cregger. The film is directed by Curry Barker, who is also known for his part in the sketch comedy duo “that’s a bad idea,” whose skits can be found on YouTube. Obsession is Barker’s first high-budget film, and centers on a man named Bear (Michael Johnston) who works at a video store and has a crush on his friend and coworker, Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Bear purchases a seemingly gimmicky gift that promises to grant him whatever he wishes for. After he wishes for Nikki to fall in love with him, things, of course, go badly. Barker explores this premise more thoroughly than might be expected in this violent cautionary tale.
On June 18th, the Australian horror film Leviticus is set to release in the United States. This film is both written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, and is his first feature-length film following the release of three short films. Leviticus draws on inspiration from directors like Wong Kar-wai and Hsiao-Hsien Hou, iconic artists who shaped how he viewed a “good film.” Chiarella’s career in film began with an editing internship for Baz Luhrmann, and he has since released three short films that have gained attention at film festivals and earned him awards and nominations from several Australian film organizations. Leviticus stars Stacey Clausen and Joe Bird as two teenagers in love. After a religious exorcism, a monstrous being is released, disguising itself as the object of people’s desires. The film explores queer love, homophobia, and the fear of desire. It premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival.
This film, directed by BT Meza in his feature directorial debut, follows Ellie (Jessica Rothe), a woman who suffers from seizures that reset her memories. She finds herself living with a man and a young girl, who claim to be her husband and daughter, but she has a strange feeling that they may not be who they say they are. The film is releasing on May 8th in the United States. It was originally shown at the Overlook Film Festival, where Rothe’s performance was praised as a highlight.
Backrooms, released under A24, is directed by Kane Parsons and is scheduled to release in the United States on May 29th. Parsons is the creator of a web series under the same name, which follows a scientist who discovers the Backrooms and attempts to document them. Both the web series and movie are inspired by the Backrooms creepypasta, an endless maze of empty rooms, portrayed as liminal spaces with dim, yellow lighting and buzzing fluorescent lights. Debuting in 2022, the web series has been immensely popular, with more than 75 million views collectively. The upcoming film stars Renate Reinsve as a therapist following her patient (Chiwetel Ejiofor) after he disappears into the Backrooms. The use of liminality as a feature of horror has been praised, and the film had a successful screen test.
