The Youngest Movie Director Ever, Money Saving Tips, An Alleged Theft that Created a Cult, and More

Thursday, May 28th, 2026

Good morning! Welcome to The Tradesman, a 5-minute newsletter tailored just for America’s tradesmen.

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time to give away another $50 Gas Card!

Click here to enter for a chance to win. (NOTE: Only one entry per person will be accepted!)

Do the words "The Backrooms" mean anything to you?

"The Backrooms" is a horror concept that gained popularity in 2019 after someone posted an eerie image of an empty office building online. The concept imagines weak spots in reality that pull people into another dimension, where they wander endless corridors of empty buildings while hunted by an unknown monster.

Inspired by the concept, then-16-year-old Kane Parsons created a short film titled "The Backrooms (Found Footage)" and uploaded it to YouTube. The film went massively viral, earning 78 million views and spawning a series of follow-up videos, each pulling in millions of views.

Four years later, Parsons makes his directorial debut as the youngest major studio director ever when his A24 horror film "The Backrooms" opens in theaters on Friday.

Find a review of the movie here, and the trailer here.

Believe us, we get it. We don't need politicians or news companies to tell us that groceries, gas, and literally everything else are expensive right now; we feel it every time we swipe our credit card.

We're tired of being reminded. What we want are solutions.

Unfortunately, we here at The Tradesman don't have the power to stop inflation, change gas prices, or tariff restrictions, but what we can do is give you tips and life hacks.

Let’s start with how to save money at the grocery store. Click here to see how you can save $300 on your next food run.

For our fellow gamers, get excited.

A massive update hit "No Man's Sky" on Monday, and the internet is losing its mind.

Called "The Swarm Expedition" by the game's developers, the update is the biggest the game has seen in years.

Click here to find all the details.

"I am in some serious legal trouble right now," YouTuber Ben Schneider, known as "Reckless Ben," said in a recent video. "Just know that I will not stop this mission until we get every single Lego back to its rightful owner."

Schneider launched a campaign against Bricks and Minifigs, a Lego reseller, after Bryan Mansell alleged the company stole his sick father's vintage Lego Star Wars collection, valued at $200,000.

Schneider's tactics have included creating fake rival companies, hiring hypnotists to trick staff into signing confessionary statements, and starting a Lego cult.

The story only gets weirder. Read the full story and watch Schneider's videos here.

What do you drink in the mornings?