Remember slasher films when your worst possible fear was being hunted and tortured by someone? simpler times. Over the last 20 years horror has have shifted from external threats and physical violence to internalized, psychological anxieties. We've come to learn that the system is the real monster — toxic beauty culture & ageism (The Substance), race & liberal tokenism (Get Out), consumer culture (Infinity Pool), widening class divides (Us/ Parasite) and AI & Technological dependence (Ex-Machina/ M3GAN).
The 2 biggest indie horrors today tell us what we're most concerned about as well. Backrooms speaks to the terrifying architecture of the digital age that has left us all alienated into our own algorithms, unable to get out to the real world. Obsession seems like a culmination of the the growing disconnect, where women are increasingly opting out of marriage, motherhood, and relationships, while the entitlement of men raised by patriarchy has left them lonelier, angrier, and desperate to find love.
It's such dark times that even filmmakers like Sofia Coppola are turning down projects that are "too sad" feeling compelled to create something that offers hope and beauty instead. Whether it's to address the horrors or to escape them, both of which are necessary, art has become imperative to our survival today; I'm talking about real art, handmade, birthed from the human mind and not a database of the past. Like Kane Parsons said, It's a way of processing life and you cannot outsource that.
Here's what we have for you this week:
Directed by Kane Parsons and based on his hugely popular analogue horror series, Backrooms follows the internet myth of endless yellow office-like corridors where people can accidentally "noclip" out of reality and become trapped in a maze inhabited by strange entities. The film expands the eerie world that first took over YouTube and horror forums through found-footage storytelling and liminal spaces. Homegrown and PVR Pictures are hosting an exclusive Mumbai premiere at PVR Lido on June 10. Twenty lucky winners will get invitations to watch the film before its India release. To enter, comment with the one song you'd keep listening to if you were stuck in the Backrooms, share the post on your story, and fill out the form linked in Homegrown's bio here.
Homegrown Handpicked is a curation of our favourite releases from every month. We’re bringing you the freshest music from across the country by artists that represent the essence and spirit of the zeitgeist. This month features heavy metal, psychedelic trap, 'Goan bounce', garage rock, R&B, synth wave, nu-gaze, electronic maximalism, and industrial pop.
Listen to the playlist here.
After the original version of 'Maname' found a large audience online and crossed a million views, Chennai singer-songwriter Sarah Black has returned to the song with the version she always imagined making. 'Maname Neeyae' revisits the original track with rewritten sections, new lyrics, a larger orchestral arrangement, and a deeper emotional arc. The song carries forward the longing that connected with listeners in the first place while expanding its scale through lush instrumentation and Sarah's husky, intimate vocals.
Listen to it here.
Bengaluru restaurant Nila has launched Backwaters, a new 12-course tasting menu by chef Rahul Sharma that draws from Kerala's agricultural and coastal landscapes. Rice, coconut, mango, lime, preservation techniques, and regional ingredients form the backbone of the experience, which unfolds almost like a journey through the state's ecology. The menu looks at how geography shapes food traditions, turning familiar flavours into a detailed culinary narrative that moves through Kerala's backwaters, farms, and coastline.
Read about it here.
Beginning June 20, Shared Ecologies is launching Timekeepers, a month-long artist lab led by Delhi-based artist and educator Sonam Chaturvedi. The programme invites artists to think about time through material processes such as ripening, erosion, decay, and transformation instead of conventional measurements like clocks and calendars. Open to Delhi-based practitioners across disciplines, the lab focuses on observation, slowness, and everyday rhythms while questioning productivity-driven ways of understanding time.
Register here.
Method Delhi's new exhibition Slow Rot brings together ten contemporary artists exploring trauma, identity, violence, social decay, and psychological unrest through the visual language of the grotesque. The exhibition traces the history of the grotesque from ancient Rome to contemporary internet culture, examining why distorted, unsettling imagery continues to resonate today. Featuring artists including Priyesh T., Tithi Das, Revant Dasgupta, and Sajid Wajid Shaikh, the show looks at fractured bodies, personal anxieties, cultural fears, and social tensions through works that deliberately resist comfort. The exhibition runs until July 3.
Read more about it here.
Homegrown and Casa Bacardi are transforming GoRally Pickleball in Bengaluru into a beach-club-inspired summer escape on June 14. The event features performances by Lady Shaka, Kampai, ANSWER, Reflected Ray, Farhaan Rehman, KLY, and Bombie, alongside dance showcases by Fyah Squad. Visitors can also expect food pop-ups from Beyond Burgers, Lick Ice Cream, and Mezcalita, fashion pop-ups, cocktails, immersive experiences, and a photo studio, all designed to bring beach-party energy to the middle of the city.
Get your tickets here.
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