The film 'Backrooms', directed by Kane Parsons, is easily one of the most unsettling horrors of 2026. Parsons was just 16 when he posted the original nine-minute found-footage horror on YouTube, which instantly went viral with 78 million views. Now, with a feature spin-off from A24, he has enlisted Oscar-nominated actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve.
A Unique and Head-Messing Vibe
Ejiofor plays Clark, a failed architect managing a discount furniture warehouse and sleeping there after a failed marriage. One night, he discovers a glowing light in the basement and passes through a wall into an endless maze of yellow rooms. He becomes obsessed with exploring this eerie subterranean realm. His therapist, Dr Mary Kline (Reinsve), initially thinks he is delusional until he disappears and she investigates.
Atmosphere Over Plot
The plot is minimal, but that is not the point. The film's unique quality lies in its atmosphere. Parsons has credited the concept to a 2019 photo on 4Chan that inspired a creepypasta thread. The sound design, especially the hum of fluorescent lights, feels reminiscent of David Lynch, though Parsons claims never to have watched his work. Echoes of Charlie Kaufman, Chekhov, and Stranger Things' Upside Down are present, but Parsons' talent is distinctly his own.
Over 30,000 square feet of Backrooms were built for the shoot, causing people to get lost on set. Characters encounter half-sunken office furniture, heaps of old clothes, a dead seagull, and tiny doorways as terror closes in. The rooms may represent neural pathways or trapped trauma, but nothing is spelled out, adding to the intrigue.
Solid Jump Scares and New Horror
There are solid jump scares early on, replicating the found-footage style of the original, plus agonising moments of tension. However, this is not traditional horror; it feels like something new. The influencer-packed preview audience was left bemused, 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. A version of this article was first published on May 27, 2026.
