Backrooms (Full Review)

I feel like there is now more love for original stories more than ever! I think as an audience we are hungry for new stories and perspectives. Or at least that’s what it feels like. We are in a time period that is beginning to celebrate a lot more indie films, the underdog and bold films that are unique. Backrooms, directed by Kane Parsons, is one of those movies that is getting a ton of love from audiences and critics. Once a still image and a comment on 4chan, the backrooms found life in a YouTube series crafted by Kane, under the name KanePixels. It easily became an online hit and created a massive community behind the story. A match made in heaven was created when Kane and A24 partnered together to make a full feature and is part of the greater story. Backrooms is beautifully crafted, as first-time feature director Kane brings his world to the big screen. Wonderfully made with the same amount of detail put into his YouTube series, the movie has become a massive hit at the box office. What makes the Backrooms extremely special, is the conversations that happen after the movie. It is bringing people together to watch a movie, talk about it afterwards, and coming up with their own theories of what the story is about. From breakdowns, people revisiting the older videos, and people even making their own shorts, it shows how powerful good storytelling can be. It feels like an interactive experience. That you are a detective in this fantastical world that Parsons has created. The Backrooms is a rare gem that evokes multiple viewing where you will discover more and more with every watch. Kane Parsons is a genius and has every planned out, and you can tell that a lot of care was put into the movie. Alongside we have some great performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, which knocked it out of the park. Backrooms transports you into this world of pure fantasy and terror. A journey into madness that makes you rethink everything. Backrooms is a movie that will no-clip you out of reality and send you back a changed person. Addicted by what it has to offer and fearing it too.

Kane Parsons’ creativity and world building are the highlights of the series that is now beloved by millions of people. He has built a world with so many characteristics. The brilliant part of this story that he is creating is that he is the only one that knows all the answers. He lets his audience discover this mystical place and what lies within it. Giving us puzzle piece after puzzle piece with some answers and even more questions. Backrooms fits within his master timeline, and he does have an end game for this story. Seeing all the details and making sure everything is right and perfect makes me so happy to see for someone who loves movies. A filmmaker that is story first and builds a world that can feel real and grounded. That is what makes Backrooms so scary; it feels real and lived in. We gain the fear of possibly ending up in this space that makes no sense and can easily get lost. Not including the real threats within the space as well. We get these beautiful sets that were built practically and make the world come to life. No corners were cut, and no shortcuts were taken. I also love the fact that there are segments of found footage elements in this film. It is a nod to his series, but also worked very well and immersed the audience even more into this world. As a horror fan, this movie made me fear a physical space, which is a huge achievement. The threats within the movie are also very chilling and horrifying. I didn’t expect the body horror, that looked incredible and took me by surprise. The choices made by the characters made the story flow so well. Even after my third watch, the pacing always stays consistent and made me want more and more each time. I wanted to stay in the Backrooms. A crazy thought to say, but nonetheless not untrue.

Backrooms is bit of a slow burn, but there was always something interesting happening. The film has a great way to pull you in with these amazing characters. The story of Clark, beautifully played by Chiwetel, was one that many people can relate to. Someone relatable in the aspect that he is someone who is extremely flawed, but also someone who you want to root for. That we often go through our own struggles, have ambitions, dreams, and are in life that often feels like we are stuck. Being in the same loop day after day. Clark is complex and has mental health issues and is seen as a broken man at the end of his rope. The movie does something very special with this character that I really liked. Without spoilers, all I’ll say is that we change what we think of him as an audience. Renate, who plays Mary in the film, does an incredible job in her role, as she often does in her other movies. She’s one of my favorite actresses that is currently working in the film industry. Playing a psychiatrist, who has her own mental health issues, she connects with the audience that no one is perfect. That even broken people are the ones that try to help other broken people. A cycle that she finds herself stuck in, as we see her past and present traumas. The back and forth these two characters have towards the end of the film was so captivating. Their performances elevated the scene to high tension levels that felt like a ticking time bomb. The writing of dialogue never felt cheesy and it felt like real people having a difficult conversation with each other. Both characters had a full backstory and felt like they had a lot of history. That they had these full lived lives and for us as audience it helps us really connect with them. I really enjoyed their character arcs and the direction they went with their stories.

Overall, Backrooms makes us find the love for creativity. The beauty of the human mind and the imagination it holds. People building worlds in their head and sharing them out to the world is one of the best things we can do as humans. Seeing Parsons’ vision come to the big screen is a miracle in its own right. He has been working so hard for so long by himself and it truly paid off. It gave him the chance to tell his story to a wider audience in the best format possible, the movie theater screen. Seeing this world come to life from my computer screen to the big screen was a magical experience. This movie teleports you into this world, and you feel it come alive. From the beautiful cinematography that made the space breathe, the score that complemented the movie perfectly, and the direction by Parsons, this movie is special. Original films are back in full swing, as we see a need for them. I’m also very happy to hear that he will be continuing this story, and our questions will be answered one day. There are a ton of horror elements in the movie, but I do think even those who don’t love the horror genre, can get something out of this film as well. It is one of the best science fiction stories in recent history. The concept alone should get your interest, but fear not, it has so many more rooms and layers for you to enjoy.

Rating: 90/100