Backrooms: Cultural Phenomenon or Cultural Confusion?

On May 29th, 2026, the film Backrooms was released into theaters internationally, marking the directorial debut for twenty year-old Kane Parsons. Parsons, whose career in filmmaking began on YouTube, has a committed fanbase that drew audiences to the theaters. However, Parsons is in good company in the industry, as several other young filmmakers, namely Obsession’s Curry Baker have reached new heights of success with their feature films. So, in a sea of new age and digitally experienced directors, what causes the dreamy, disconcerting liminal spaces of Backrooms to stand out? 

What are the backrooms?

Although the film is a new experience for movie goers, the concept of the backrooms dates back to a post from 2019. Best described as an internet horror theory, the backrooms are extradimensional spaces defined by their vast and eerie emptiness. It is possible that the backrooms can mimic real-life spaces, such as deserted hotels or schools, only devoid of all human life. While a plentiful amount of internet users have expanded on this  by adding specified levels and horrifying entities, Kane Parsons is most commonly tied to the backrooms because of his 2022 short film. This film, while only nine minutes long, garnered over 78 million views and received high praise from esteemed sources, with horror reviewer Rob Beschizza even predicting its eventual promotion to a Hollywood style film. Unsurprisingly, months after its release, Parsons struck a deal with A24 to shift his focus towards the big screen. 

What is it about?

While the immense popularity of his original Backrooms short film allowed for Parsons to snatch up this once in a lifetime opportunity, his feature film broadcasts a highly different, fleshed out story. Although the grainy “found footage” aspect  during the first few minutes pay tribute to his humble beginnings, the story is revamped to suit a host of new characters. Instead of a young filmmaker unknowingly transported to a terrifying new world, the protagonist of this film is Clark, a down-on-his-luck salesman who has recently been kicked out by his girlfriend. Played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Clark’s failed stint in architecture leads him to pursue a new career as the head of a nearly deserted furniture store. The store and Clark’s persona as “Cap’n Clark” are his entire life, until one night he discovers a hidden complex of rooms just beyond the store’s basement. Teaming up with his employees Bobby and Kat, played by Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell respectively, Clark is determined to explore the backrooms despite  the possible consequences ahead. Another important figure in Clark’s life is Mary (Renate Reinsve), his therapist and one true confidante throughout the film. Although Bobby and Kat accompany Clark into the backrooms, Mary is the one person he explains his knowledge of the phenomenon to in its entirety. Their relationship, however, is completely altered when Mary steps into the backrooms, unaware of what she will find. The overall tone of the film is shrouded in secrecy, from the confusing visuals and abundantly bizarre storylines to the reveal of the entity that haunts the mysterious place. Parsons seamlessly recreates the eerie yet magnetic aesthetic of his original work before the characters  set foot within the backrooms, with grainy analog footage of Cap’n Clark’s storeroom and bright images setting the mood. The uncomfortably cheery cinematography, both in and out of the backrooms, translates the nostalgic fear hidden in liminal spaces to the big screen in a captivating manner. 

What’s Happening?

“Imagine describing a dog to someone who has never seen one before and then asking them to draw it. It will look similar, but the devil’s in the details.” 

Clark, Backrooms

 
This quote, often repeated by Clark, describes not only the nature of the finicky backrooms but also the nature of watching the film itself. As confirmed by Parsons, the backrooms is designed to be a notion that eludes human knowledge, leaving many aspects of the storyline open-ended and up to viewer interpretation. While many die-hard fans appreciated this touch, the unexplained functions of the backrooms and the extent of Clark’s time within confused viewers with less familiarity on the topic. Additionally, Mary’s storyline is a topic of discourse, as the movie highlights few and far between flashbacks to her childhood without directly stating the correlation between her trauma and her current path. Although the open-endedness of the film allows for thought-provoking critical discussion, this element was clearly intended for the likes of a smaller, creepypasta fan audience rather than the general audience this film has surmised. The last forty-five minutes, while thrilling and villain-centric, feel like an extended cut of an entirely different version of the movie. The twist and ambiguity of this third act follows a classic A24 method, and yet it also alienates audiences along the way. Backrooms is a film that is certain to be used as a bargaining chip in future media literacy debates, but its enduring relevance amongst casual viewers and newer horror fans is likely to be short-lived.

• cinema
• entertainment
• filmmakers
• horror
• internet
• youtube