'Backrooms' Review
- Cassandra Hager
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Release Date: 05/29/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Horror. SciFi. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: A24.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Kane Parsons’ Backrooms is a sometimes messy, always mesmerizing feature film debut. The 20-year-old director has essentially had the corner market on the concept since the beginning – with his YouTube Shorts garnering millions of views. The feature-length film features certain elements inspired by the backrooms’ humble beginnings and throws in a whole lot more to chew on.
As a relative newcomer to the backrooms, I was excited to see this film. The fact that a single photo of an empty room in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, inspired such an iconic creepypasta shows how strongly social media can shape pop culture. Plus, I’m always eager to support emerging artists. I was in the second row on opening night, popcorn in hand.
The film honors its found-footage roots while expanding the story to show how the outside world connects to the mysterious backrooms. I was drawn in immediately by the opening scene, in which scientists watch footage from a backrooms researcher who became separated from his group. With his calls for help unanswered, the tape ends as he’s captured by an unknown entity.
We meet Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a failed architect who now owns a furniture store. His marriage is in shambles, and his only meaningful conversations are with Mary (Renate Reinsve), his therapist, who is plagued with problems of her own. While investigating faulty lighting in his store, Clark accidentally “noclips,” passing through a wall into the backrooms. Though terrified, he is also fascinated. He tells Mary he has returned many times, discovering new rooms on each visit.
We first experience the backrooms alongside Clark, but his descent into darkness seems to happen largely offscreen. I do wish we could have been part of those repeat trips to the backrooms and witnessed Clark’s emotional transformation. The film excels at worldbuilding but falls short on character development, leaving us to fill in the gaps.
The third act will likely be the film’s most divisive, as it veers into chaotic territory. For me, that chaos worked and brought the film’s broader message into a sharper focus. Fans of the original series will appreciate the visuals, but people hoping for clear answers will probably be frustrated. Like the backrooms themselves, the film invites countless interpretations of what is happening in Clark’s mind and within this strange world. Overall, Backrooms is a fascinating horror film that shows sincere promise from its young director.