Backrooms Review

By Ben Wright (@Iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)

This review is spoiler-free.

Backrooms follows a group of people whose lives become entangled with a mysterious liminal space that exists somewhere beyond our reality. What starts as a seemingly impossible discovery quickly spirals into a terrifying journey through endless corridors, forgotten rooms, and places that feel unnervingly familiar yet completely wrong. As the mystery deepens, those trapped within the Backrooms must confront both the horrors lurking inside and the psychological toll of being lost in a place where normal rules no longer apply.

Kane Parsons brings his hugely successful YouTube creation to the big screen with A24’s Backrooms, but the big question was always whether this internet phenomenon could make the jump from viral horror shorts to a full cinematic experience.

Thankfully, the answer is yes.

If you’re already familiar with the Backrooms, whether through the original image, the countless games, theories, or Parsons’ own YouTube series, there’s a lot here to enjoy. Rather than simply retelling material we’ve already seen, Parsons chooses to tell a new story within that established world. It feels connected to the wider mythology while still standing on its own two feet, and there’s a sense that he’s trying to push the lore towards something more concrete and definitive.

Of course, the beauty of the Backrooms is that it will probably never have a true ending. The mystery is part of the appeal. But for a first cinematic outing, I was more than happy with the direction Parsons takes.

It’s also worth saying just how impressive this achievement is. Parsons has gone from creating horror shorts on YouTube to directing a major A24 horror film before many filmmakers have even had their first big break. Following recent success stories such as Curry Barker, Danny and Michael Philippou, and Chris Stuckmann, it feels like we’re seeing a generation of online creators proving they can successfully make the leap to cinema.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, the Backrooms are essentially an endless maze of impossible spaces hidden behind reality. Through a phenomenon known as “noclipping”, people can accidentally slip out of our world and into these vast, empty environments filled with buzzing lights, stained carpets, endless hallways and things that may or may not be watching from the shadows. It’s a simple premise on paper, but one that taps into something deeply uncomfortable and difficult to explain.

What I appreciated most is that the film never dumbs itself down for newcomers. It trusts the audience enough to figure things out as they go along. The opening act takes a little while to find its footing, and there are a few pacing issues early on, but it does enough to establish the rules before throwing viewers headfirst into the nightmare.

And once we finally make that transition into the Backrooms proper, the film becomes genuinely terrifying.

Everything feels wrong in the best possible way. The framing of the shots, the production design, the props, the lighting. Every room feels slightly off, like reality has shifted a few degrees without anybody noticing. It’s difficult to explain, but the film constantly creates the feeling that something isn’t right. Even when nothing overtly scary is happening, you’re left feeling uneasy.

The creature elements are handled well too. Parsons understands that the unknown is often scarier than the reveal. We get enough glimpses to stay invested and terrified, but the film never falls into the trap of showing too much. I’m sure some fans will be disappointed that certain creatures or concepts don’t appear, but for this first big-screen outing, I think the less-is-more approach was absolutely the right call.

The sound design deserves special praise because it is phenomenal. Every footstep echoes through the empty spaces. Every distant creak or strange noise feels significant. The film understands that sound can often be scarier than anything you actually see, and there were moments where I found myself tensing up simply because of what I was hearing.

The practical approach helps massively as well. Rather than relying too heavily on green screens, the film builds physical environments that feel tangible and real. That decision gives the Backrooms a weight and authenticity that makes the horror far more effective.

I also really liked how Parsons blended traditional filmmaking with found-footage elements. It creates a nice bridge between the YouTube origins of the franchise and its cinematic future. The 1990s setting works particularly well because the lower-quality cameras and imperfect footage add another layer of unease. The grain, distortion, and visual imperfections all become part of the horror rather than something the film has to work around.

Performance-wise, Chiwetel Ejiofor is outstanding. He never phones in a role, and that’s true here as well. What I liked most was that his character feels flawed and human. He’s not a perfect protagonist, and the film isn’t afraid to show his weaknesses. That makes his journey much more engaging and believable.

Renate Reinsve is equally strong, and while her character’s backstory perhaps needed a little more development, she still delivers a compelling performance throughout. The two leads approach their situations very differently, which helps keep the character dynamics interesting as the story progresses.

Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, and Mark Duplass all make strong impressions despite having more limited screen time. In particular, I’d love to see more of Duplass’ character should this become a larger franchise. Across the board, the performances feel natural and restrained, which suits the tone of the film perfectly.

There are a few negatives. As mentioned, the first act struggles slightly with pacing after such a strong opening sequence. It never becomes boring, but there are moments where the momentum dips a little. I also think the third act could have done a better job of showing the passage of time. Certain character developments and emotional shifts feel slightly abrupt because the film doesn’t always communicate how long people have actually been trapped within this world.

They’re relatively minor issues overall, but they did stand out.

Greg Ng’s editing is excellent throughout. The way the film teases movement, shapes, and possible creatures lurking in the background is incredibly effective. We often only catch fragments of what’s there, and that uncertainty makes everything far creepier. The film understands that the audience’s imagination will often do far more damage than a full reveal ever could.

Jeremy Cox’s cinematography is equally impressive. The framing constantly makes the viewer feel small, isolated, and trapped. Long corridors stretch endlessly into darkness, while seemingly ordinary rooms become threatening simply because of how they’re shot. There are numerous scenes where the camera lingers just long enough to make you scan every corner of the screen, convinced you’ve missed something. Combined with the production design, it creates a visual style that is both beautiful and deeply unsettling.

Backrooms is an unsettling, unnerving, and often genuinely terrifying horror experience that successfully brings one of the internet’s most fascinating horror concepts to the big screen. With outstanding sound design, striking visuals, strong performances, and an atmosphere that gets under your skin and stays there, Kane Parsons proves that the Backrooms can work just as effectively in cinemas as they do online.