In January 2022, a 16-year-old video effects artist named Kane Parsons (aka, Kane Pixels) posted a short film titled "The Backrooms (Found Footage)” to YouTube. It went viral. It visualized the concept of liminal spaces, seemingly normal settings like an office, airport, or mall that have a surreal feeling, usually due to the lack of people. Pandemic lockdowns made the aesthetic all too real.
The short film, and its subsequent sequels, are a series of eerie first-person explorations of an empty office building consisting of an endless maze of yellow walls and lurking supernatural figures. Its visual style and portrayal of disorientation feeding psychological horror is reminiscent of found footage movies such as “The Blair Witch Project.” The success of these videos is said to have influenced television shows such as AppleTV’s “Severance” along with a new wave of horror creators and video games. Producers at A24 recognized Parsons’ talent and tapped the young filmmaker, now 20 years old, to adapt his series into a big screen version expanding on that universe.
The story follows Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a discount furniture store owner struggling with emotional fallout from a broken marriage and dissatisfaction with life. We get to know him through therapy sessions with Mary (Renate Reinsve), who has her own troubled past. Clark discovers a portal into the backrooms of Parson’s YouTube shorts in the basement of his store. His exploration of the realm becomes a journey into madness This catches the attention of a research scientist whose team is studying the realm. The lead scientist (Mark Duplass) turns his investigation to Clark. and Mary
The movie is basically an episodic series of increasingly disturbing trips into the office maze, bookended by psychiatric sessions in the “real world.” Those are head-scratching at first but are paid off later. As with most of A24’s horror catalog, this film is a good slow burn. Parsons creates a world of off-putting images set to a soundtrack consisting of the hum of fluorescent lighting. He allows time for viewers to build their own dread without relying on jump scares. He is definitely a talented artist and director to watch.
It is somewhat repetitive, and some viewers may lose patience with the pacing. The teenage audience at my screening expected more action. However, each trip inside the backrooms ups the ante, so it stays fresh. Don’t expect much in the way of answers either. Sequels will likely build on the lore.
“Backrooms” rates 4 out 5 stars. It is rated R for language and violence and runs 1 hour and 50 minutes. It may play better as a late-night watch at home since a quiet, lonely setting furthers the chances viewers will get pushed into their own thoughts.
