Backrooms is one of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Directed by Kane Parsons, who was just 16 when he posted the original Backrooms on YouTube, this feature-length adaptation expands on the viral nine-minute found-footage horror that captivated 78 million viewers. The original video, featuring a man chased through an infinite maze of empty yellow rooms, led to a YouTube series and a deal with A24 for a feature film. Now, with Oscar-nominated actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve heading the cast, Parsons has created a truly unique cinematic experience.
A Unique Concept with Deep Roots
Parsons did not originally conceive the Backrooms concept; it began as a 2019 photo on 4Chan that inspired a creepypasta thread. He picked it up and ran with it, creating a film that feels entirely his own. The plot follows Clark (Ejiofor), a failed architect who manages a discount furniture warehouse and sleeps there after his marriage ends. One night, he discovers a glowing light in the basement and finds he can pass through a wall into a never-ending warren of brightly lit yellow rooms. He becomes obsessed with exploring this eerie subterranean realm, while his therapist, Dr. Mary Kline (Reinsve), initially assumes he is delusional until she investigates his disappearance.
Atmosphere and Sound Design
The plot is minimal, but that is not the point. The film's strength lies in its extraordinary atmosphere and unsettling sound design, particularly the hum of fluorescent strip lights, which evokes David Lynch, though Parsons says he has never watched Lynch. There are echoes of Charlie Kaufman, Chekhov, Stranger Things' Upside Down, and the video game Exit 8. Yet, Parsons' precocious talent is entirely his own, mentored by James Wan and Osgood Perkins. Over 30,000 square feet of Backrooms were built for the shoot, reportedly causing people to get lost on set. Characters encounter half-sunken office furniture, heaps of old clothes, a dead seagull, and Alice in Wonderland-tiny doorways as real terror closes in.
What Do the Backrooms Represent?
Parsons did not write the script, but his therapist mother would surely approve. Dr. Mary tells her clients, 'We all have our loops, our habits, that keep us stuck,' aiming to free them from past traumas. Are the Backrooms neural pathways or trapped trauma? The fact that nothing is spelt out is what makes the film so intriguing and transfixing.
Horror That Feels New
There are solid jump scares early on, replicating the found-footage style of the original, and moments of agonizing tension. But this is not traditional horror; it feels like something new. As the credits rolled, the influencer-packed preview audience was left bemused rather than whooping, as if they had experienced something strange and inexplicable. Part of us is still wandering the Backrooms.
Backrooms is out in UK cinemas from May 29.
Verdict
Solid jump scares and an unsettling use of sound – this is not just traditional horror; it feels brand new.
