Jun 08, 2026 [[read-time]] minute read
What do the horror breakout hits Obsession (Curry Barker), Iron Lung (Markiplier), and Backrooms (Kane Parsons) have in common? Their directors all honed their craft on YouTube before crushing the box office. Horror has always thrived on YouTube, and the appetite for it is massive — last year alone, videos with 'Backrooms' in the title racked up over 2 billion views.
Whether you want to do a deep dive before you see their movies or are itching for more afterwards, you can head over to YouTube to see their original work (plus, Iron Lung is now available, exclusively on YouTube). Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite videos from Parsons, Barker, and Markiplier.
Curry Barker and his creative partner Cooper Tomlinson are behind the that’s a bad idea YouTube channel. The channel features a mix of sketch comedy and micro-budget horror films, and it served as the launchpad for Barker's Hollywood directing career after his $800 horror feature MILK & SERIAL went viral. Now, Barker has solidified his transition from viral YouTube storyteller to cinematic auteur with Obsession, which has grossed millions on a budget of $750K.
When your friend didn’t like Dune: A classic example of Barker and Tomlinson’s sketch comedy.
THE CHAIR: An award-winning horror short film directed by Barker. After Reese (played by Anthony Pavone) brings home an antique chair, a series of horrific events follow. It’s fun to watch Barker show off his horror chops, which are now world-renowned.
The Coupon: One of the channel’s long-form skits. Watch more content of this style in this playlist.
Markiplier (Mark Fischbach) is one of YouTube’s largest gaming creators, with over 38 million subscribers. Originally known for indie horror "Let's Play" videos, his channel has evolved into a production hub for interactive series and feature-length filmmaking, culminating in the 2026 release of the $51M-grossing Iron Lung, available now, exclusively on YouTube.
WOOF: Markiplier isn’t just a gaming creator. In the 2010s he frequently uploaded comedy bits like this one. Videos like “WOOF” diversify the channel’s content beyond the daily "Let's Play" routine and showcase personality outside of a gameplay narrative.
Draw My Life - Markiplier: Get to know the man behind the channel through the ‘draw my life’ trend that was popular in the 2010s. It’s crazy to watch the video open with Markiplier discussing his 1,000 subscriber milestone, when he sits at nearly 40M subscribers today.
HUMAN SHAPED: A recent Markiplier upload. Watch as Markiplier plays the “Human Shaped” simulation video game for the first time. This is a classic example of his gaming and commentary style.
Known on YouTube as Kane Pixels, Kane Parsons built a massive following through his photorealistic, 3D-animated The Backrooms horror web series. The viral success of these videos bypassed traditional Hollywood pipelines, leading him to direct a feature-length adaptation of Backrooms (2026) for A24, grossing over $140M worldwide and making him the youngest director to achieve a #1 box office hit.
The Backrooms (Found Footage): You know we had to start with this one. The first video of the Backrooms universe, and in the YouTube playlist which has garnered almost 200M views.
Backrooms (First Contact): I get chills every time. This is the fourth installment of The Backrooms series, which chronicles the moment the Async Research Institute successfully bridges the gap between our world and the "Complex" (the Backrooms).
The Oldest View - Beneath the Earth: A POV exploration of a mysterious staircase found beneath a tree.
Let these creators be an inspiration. If you have a story to share with the world, YouTube is the place to do it. You’ve already hit the Record button; now all you have to do is click Publish.
