By Charlie Gardner.
On May 29, Backrooms arrives in cinemas, a public release preluded by critical buzz. It has generated plenty of hype amongst the public, but what is the story behind the movie’s appeal, as well as its 20 year-old director Kane Parsons?
The film, which has been greenlit since 2023, was inspired by young YouTube creator Kane Parsons, who published a series of found-footage videos to his channel in 2022 – he drew his inspiration from an old creepypasta (a term for disturbing internet folklore) that originally came from an online thread, posting an image supposedly taken from within “The Backrooms”, a seemingly endless alternate dimension consisting of eerie, seemingly abandoned and empty rooms, or liminal spaces.
The original web series involves individuals accidentally slipping through reality into these liminal spaces, which you may be alone in.
The concept became an internet sensation, amassing millions of views, whilst many forums, social media pages, and even video games drawing inspiration from the series, becoming more than a creepypasta and arguably nowadays part of modern folklore.
The film, which stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Mark Duplass (Creep), and Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), follows the story of a furniture store owner (Ejiofor) and his therapist (Reinsve), who discover a gateway to the endless span of vacant spaces in the basement to the store.
Critics in early screenings reacted well to the film, with plenty of praise to Parsons’ direction, clearly due to the iconic and unique atmosphere he created in his web series.
Initial projections indicate that the film will be a resounding success, smashing A24’s previous record set by Civil War; projections have jumped from a $20 Million gross to around $45 Million, no doubt a product of the concept’s virulence amongst internet culture and analog horror.
The film as a concept completely exemplifies A24 and their innovative approach to cinema in recent years, as they strive to find unique concepts and create them into an expressive feature-film that radiates its own personality and character, while seemingly having a strong sense for what people are looking for.
Looking to make a big hit on its first weekend, Backrooms is hitting theatres with a bang.
