By Maria Loreto Published Jul 17, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT Polygon Lists Two of the biggest horror movies of the year are streaming
Image: A24/Everett Collection Sign in to your Polygon.com account It’s finally the end of the week. As we head into the weekend, there are numerous movies available on streaming, keeping you with plenty to watch as you enjoy your days off.
Two of the biggest movies of the year are now available to watch from home. Backrooms, directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons , is now available on VOD. The horror movie is one of the biggest box office hits of the year, putting the spotlight on a young and exciting filmmaker. The project is based on his YouTube videos, a series of shorts following people lost in creepy liminal spaces.
Obsession is also available on Peacock. Curry Barker ’s directorial debut is also the mark of another rising star, this time, centered on a story of smaller dimensions yet still plenty creepy, following a guy who gets his dream girl, only to find there are some terrifying side effects he should account for. Happy watching.
Based on Kane Parsons’ string of YouTube videos and brought to the screen with the support of some of the leading filmmakers in the industry, among them James Wan and Shawn Levy, Backrooms is one of the year’s biggest hits. It's also an incredibly interesting movie. Set in the ‘90s, the movie follows Clark (Chiwetel Ejiolfor), a frustrated architect who works at his local furniture store and vents his problems to his therapist (Renate Reinsve). One night, he runs into a strange and terrifying space located on the store's basement.
Parsons proves effective at expanding his own shorts into a feature-length story that still captures the unsettling otherness of liminal space. The sheer illogic of the Backrooms feels threatening and alien; the remixing of commonplace objects and architecture into new forms feels nightmarish. The omnipresent fluorescent hum hanging over it all is oppressive enough to keep viewers’ nerves on edge.
Image: Focus Features Available on Peacock Genre: Horror Run time: 1h 48m Director: Kane Parsons Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrete Obsession is now streaming on Peacock. The movie marks Curry Barker’s directorial debut, following a 20-something guy who’s lonely and kind of going through it. In a moment of desperation, he turns to a silly trinket he bought in a shop, wishing for the girl he’s been obsessed with over the past couple of years to love him back. She does and it’s awful!
This turn positions Obsession as a kind of supernatural stalker movie. In true monkey’s-paw fashion, the undying affection Bear sought from Nikki becomes frightening, as she dotes and fixates on him to an unhealthy degree, the details of which are best left for the audience to discover.
Image: Brainstorm Media Available on VOD Genre: Horror Run time: 1h 27m Director: Phil Volken Cast: Francesca Eastwood, Alexander Wraith It’s summer, and thus the perfect time to get your fill of shark movies. The Bay follows the classic trappings of a this type of story, this time, centered on two best friends who must work to ensure each other’s survival after their tour boat sinks in a shark sanctuary.
Image: Netflix Available on Netflix Genre: Romance Run time: 1h 51m Director: Wash Westmoreland Cast: Kit Connor, Joe Locke Heartstopper has been a cultural hit ever since it first came out as a web series published on Tumblr. Years later, the series was adapted into a hit Netflix show…