Backrooms
Backrooms
Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett
Directed by Kane Parsons
In 1990, Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a furniture store owner who's down on his luck - his wife kicked him out, he lives in the store, and he has no customers. He's been seeing psychiatrist Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve) and blames everyone but himself for the situation he finds himself in, but that all changes one night when he stumbles upon a mysterious endless maze of yellow-wallpapered hallways that exist beyond a wall in his store. He spends the next few days mapping it out, and enlists his employee Kat (Lukita Maxwell) and her boyfriend Bobby (Finn Bennett) to document the experience with video. Things go badly, leaving Dr. Kline to investigate what happened and finds herself lost in the Backrooms herself, where she discovers she's not alone.
2026 has been a banner year for horror, and we're only into the beginning of June. We've had the return of Sam Raimi with "Send Help," the continuation of "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," the unique "Primate," Lee Cronin's take on "The Mummy," and the jarring "Hokum" just to name a few, but we've also been gifted with unique films delivered by YouTube and other Internet stars that have taken their passion to the big screen in big ways. Gamer Markiplier brought his favorite game "Iron Lung" to box office success; Curry Baker revolutionized horror with "Obsession," a movie that's broken a record that hasn't been done since "E.T." in 1983 - in the first three weeks of release it's gotten more profitable week-to-week. Now Kane Parsons has brought his "Backrooms" series to the big screen in a huge way, becoming A24's most successful opening to date, grossing over $100 million worldwide in its opening weekend. At just twenty years old, he's also the youngest director to achieve this feat in cinematic history.
What is it about horror movies that make them so profitable? One is the fact that they're made for a lot less than action blockbusters or dramas with big-name stars, as "Backrooms" was made with just $10 million. Another is the communal aspect horror brings that no other genre can accomplish: people want to be scared, and love to get scared in groups. Nothing beats a whole audience gasping in terror over what they see collectively, and there's a whole community of fanatics out there who will advertise their favorite horror movies on TikTok and YouTube with reckless abandon. "Backrooms" might have divided audiences, but on either end of the spectrum they're both boisterous about their views.
On the negative end, some people say "Backrooms" is boring and doesn't make sense, leaving more questions than answers. There's long stretches of the movie where not a lot happens, but the tension is always there. As Clark and Dr. Kline explore the Backrooms, the scenes are shot so brilliantly that it's no surprise some think Parsons - who was just nineteen at the time - didn't actually direct it, because it was done with such precision you'd think a seasoned director did it, but it was all him. As to it not making sense and leaving more questions than answers, that's not really a negative. Too many people want exposition dumps spoon fed to them, but for someone like me, I relish in the unknown. I love talking about the possibilities and meanings behind the yellow-wallpapered walls of the endless corridors, and the deeper meaning the film delivers.
On the positive end, this movie is a cinematic marvel that needs to receive an Academy Award nomination for Production Design. Parsons said he used "90% practical" work, and it shows in the final product. They constructed 30,000 square feet of Backrooms, and it was so meticulous that actors and crew would find themselves actually lost in the maze during filming, and it's awe-inspiring when you see it on screen. The hum of the florescent light, the ambient music, and the off-kilter decorum (such as chairs half-buried in the floor, or a creepy Christmas tree) make a never-ending sense of dread and wonder in equal measure.
The term "liminal space" refers to a transitional state, stage, or place of "in-betweenness" that represents the uncertain period between where you have been and where you are going, often characterized by feelings of ambiguity, transition, and unease, and "Backrooms" more than delivers on that meaning. It's a moving piece of art that will make you both admire and fear what you're seeing.
In-between is the actual story and performances, which is a mixed bag. The story focuses on Clark, who discovers the Backrooms and the problems he's facing in life, which many are due to his own mistakes that he never owns up to. Oscar-nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a great performance, but honestly is overshadowed by the film's main star: the Backrooms themselves. It almost feels as an afterthought, but once the film's final act begins you understand the purpose of his story, even if, again, the Backrooms itself doesn't really need it. Then there's fellow Oscar-nominee Renate Reinsve, who also gives a compelling performance as Dr. Kline, a woman who's still struggling with her own past demons as she tries to help others. Written by Will Soodik, it shows that he has a lot of growing to do when it comes to writing major film storylines, but the skeleton is strong.
For anyone who wonders how the "Backrooms" is, your excitement for the film will rest ultimately on what the Backrooms itself represents: a temporal liminal space that is a personification of many peoples' own liminal space - not living, but not dead either. The set design is the main star of this experience, and it's definitely one you need to experience on the big screen as you eagerly wait for Parsons' next project: hopefully another trek through the yellow-wallpapered, florescent lighted hallways of the Backrooms.
The Score: A+
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