Backrooms

Plot summary

The narrative of Backrooms intertwines the fates of several characters drawn into a bizarre extradimensional space. In 1990, Async Research Institute explorer Naren Warne is killed after becoming lost in the Backrooms, a maze of yellow rooms and fluorescent lights. Decades later, Clark, a failed architect and alcoholic who runs a struggling San Jose furniture store, discovers a glowing slit in his store's basement. He falls through it into the Backrooms, where he finds Naren's belongings and is chased by an unseen entity. Clark's therapist, Mary Kline, is initially skeptical of his claims but grows concerned after he disappears. Clark later brings his employees, Kat and Bobby, into the Backrooms to document it, leading to Bobby's death and Kat's disappearance. Mary eventually enters the Backrooms herself to find Clark, who has become psychotic and created static human simulacra from a strange substance. She is confronted by a monstrous, giant version of Clark in a pirate costume, which she battles before being rescued by Async researchers. The film ends with Mary in Async custody, while the Backrooms themselves are shown distorting based on the characters' traumatic experiences.

Production development and influences

The film's origins lie in the viral YouTube web series created by Kane Parsons under the name Kane Pixels, which began in January 2022. The series, inspired by the online creepypasta of the same name, attracted Hollywood interest from several studios including A24. In February 2023, a feature film adaptation was officially announced as a joint production between A24, Chernin Entertainment, Atomic Monster, and 21 Laps Entertainment. Parsons was set to direct his first feature, with Roberto Patino initially attached to write the screenplay. Will Soodik later wrote the final draft. The film was produced by James Wan, Shawn Levy, and Osgood Perkins, with a co-financing budget under $10 million from Chernin Entertainment and A24. Parsons cited a wide range of influences for both his web series and the film. These included the Portal video game franchise, the television series Mr. Robot, the films Punishment Park and One Hour Photo, and the anime series Paranoia Agent. The film maintains a strict continuity with Parsons's original YouTube series, expanding its universe rather than rebooting it.

Casting process and characters

Casting negotiations began in May 2025, with Chiwetel Ejiofor confirmed the following month to play Clark, the disillusioned furniture store owner and failed architect. Cristin Milioti was initially in talks for the role of therapist Mary Kline, but her deal fell through. Renate Reinsve was cast in her place in June 2025. Supporting roles were filled in July 2025, with Mark Duplass as Async scientist Phil, Finn Bennett as Bobby, Lukita Maxwell as Kat, and Avan Jogia as the ill fated explorer Naren Warne. Jogia was a known fan of the original web series before joining the project and recalled spending extensive time with Parsons discussing the film's lore despite his character's relatively small part. Robert Bobroczkyi portrayed the monstrous 'Captain Clark' entity, a giant simulacrum of Clark in a pirate costume. The static human simulacra within the Backrooms were played by Patrick Baynham, Dana Mahmood, and Rhiannon Roberts. Krista Kosonen played Mary's mother, Nora, while Katharine Isabelle made a cameo appearance during a house party scene.

Design and physical construction in Vancouver

The creation of the film's unsettling liminal spaces was a massive physical and digital undertaking. Production designer Danny Vermette adapted Parsons's Blender software models for physical construction. More than 30,000 square feet of Backrooms sets were built across four sound stages in Vancouver, with Vermette comparing the fitting of the complex sets to a game of Tetris. The production used 37,000 square feet of wallpaper and 29,000 square feet of carpeting, much of it sourced locally in Canada to avoid the impact of international tariffs. The sets were designed with intentional verticality to make actors' interactions with the environment more physically challenging, and reports indicated people occasionally got lost on the vast, repetitive set. The spaces were conceived as an 'architectural hell' resembling a flawed digital 3D modelling sandbox. Design elements included rendering errors like misaligned floors, intersecting arches, and objects clipping through walls to create a profound sense of unreality. The entities within the Backrooms were designed not as traditional demons but as distorted 'memories' of the real world, drawing comparisons to the anomalous zone in the film Annihilation.

Filming and musical score

Principal photography took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, under the working title Effigy. An official production listing gave the shooting period as July 7 to August 14, 2025. The cinematography by Jeremy Cox was crucial in establishing the film's oppressive visual tone, using a sterile, yellowish fluorescent lighting scheme that critics described as leaking like radon gas. The musical score was composed by Edo Van Breemen and director Kane Parsons. The film's soundtrack also features several notable pre existing tracks. The Boards of Canada song 'The Word Becomes Flesh' from their album Inferno plays during the end credits. Other featured tracks include the former lostwave song 'Ulterior Motives', 'Eyes of a Stranger' by the Canadian band Payolas, and 'B1, All that follows is true' by the Caretaker.

Release strategy and box office performance

Backrooms premiered at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California on May 7, 2026, before its wide theatrical release in the United States on May 29, 2026 by A24. It debuted earlier in South Korea and Italy on May 27. The film far exceeded box office projections, which had initially estimated a $20 million opening weekend before rising to $40 50 million forecasts just prior to release. It grossed $38.4 million on its first day and debuted to $81.5 million domestically and a total of $118 million worldwide, setting a new record for A24's biggest opening weekend. In its second weekend, despite a 70 percent decline to $26.3 million, it became A24's highest grossing film to date, surpassing Marty Supreme. By its fourth weekend, worldwide box office reached $301 million. Director Kane Parsons, at age 20, became the youngest filmmaker to reach number one at both the domestic and global box office, breaking a record previously held by Josh Trank for Chronicle. The film eventually grossed $402.5 million globally, with top international markets including China ($27.8 million), Mexico ($17.8 million), the United Kingdom ($17.6 million), Australia and New Zealand ($12.3 million), and France ($12.2 million). An extended version titled Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition, featuring a 15 minute post credits sequence of Async research footage, was released on July 3, 2026. The film was released on digital platforms on July 14, and the bonus footage was later uploaded to Parsons's YouTube channel on August 19.

Critical reception and thematic analysis

The film received generally positive reviews, with an 86 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 316 critics and an average score of 7.4 out of 10. The site's consensus highlighted Parsons's assured debut and the film's mesmerizing terror. Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 based on 47 critics, indicating generally favourable reviews. Audience scores were more mixed, with CinemaScore giving a 'B−' grade and PostTrak reporting a 68 percent positive score. Critics widely praised Parsons's directorial control, the oppressive production design, and the lead performances by Ejiofor and Reinsve. Amy Nicholson of the Los Angeles Times described it as a surreal, dreamlike experience akin to a moving Salvador Dalí painting. Owen Gleiberman of Variety highlighted the use of mood and sound over jump scares, comparing it to Eraserhead and Skinamarink. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian noted its thematic links to Japanese horror and series like Severance. The screenplay by Will Soodik was analysed as cobbling together ideas about trauma, the unconscious, and metaphors about gentrification as a repression of the past. The film's success was also seen as a cultural signifier. Industry reports connected its appeal to Generation Z's deep unease with life lived online, drawing parallels to COVID 19 lockdowns, recommendation algorithms, and generative AI. The Hollywood Reporter noted the film, alongside others, signaled the growing influence of YouTube native filmmakers in horror, potentially shifting studio strategies toward low budget, creator driven productions sourced from digital platforms and online communities like Reddit.

Accolades and cultural impact

While specific award wins are not detailed in the available notes, the film is listed as having received 15 nominations according to The Movie Database. Its primary accolade remains its unprecedented box office achievement for an A24 production and an independent horror film. Culturally, Backrooms cemented the internet born creepypasta concept in mainstream cinema. The film's success demonstrated the commercial viability of adapting niche online horror folklore. It validated Parsons's transition from a YouTube creator to a major studio filmmaker, a path that industry observers believe will encourage more studios to seek talent and intellectual property from digital platforms. The film's aesthetic, centred on liminal spaces and architectural dread, influenced wider discussions about anxiety, memory, and reality in the digital age. Its production also highlighted Vancouver's capacity for hosting large scale, creatively demanding genre filmmaking, contributing to the local film industry.

Sequel development and franchise future

Following the film's success, director Kane Parsons confirmed in May 2026 that he was not finished with the Backrooms universe and that projects were already in development. He stated his original YouTube web series would continue independently. A report from Deadline Hollywood in early June 2026 suggested Parsons was searching for a screenwriting collaborator for a sequel, but Parsons denied this shortly after. However, by September 2026, it was reported that Parsons had signed a deal with A24 to direct the sequel, with an official announcement said to be imminent. Parsons has also expressed interest in developing a Backrooms television series, indicating the franchise's potential for expansion across multiple mediums. The existence of the Async Research Institute and the expansive, reality bending nature of the Backrooms themselves provide ample narrative avenues for future stories set within this growing horror mythology.

Questions about Backrooms

Is the Backrooms movie based on a true story?

No, the film is not based on a true story. It is a fictional adaptation of the 'Backrooms' creepypasta, an internet born horror concept about endless liminal spaces. Director Kane Parsons first popularized the concept through his anthological YouTube web series starting in 2022, which served as the direct inspiration for the feature film. The movie expands the lore with original characters and a narrative involving a furniture store owner and a mysterious research institute called Async.

Where was the Backrooms movie filmed?

Principal photography for Backrooms took place entirely in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Shooting occurred from July 7 to August 14, 2025, under the working title Effigy. The massive, disorienting sets for the Backrooms themselves were constructed across four sound stages in the city, utilizing over 30,000 square feet of space. A significant amount of the construction materials, including 37,000 square feet of wallpaper and 29,000 square feet of carpeting, were sourced locally in Canada to avoid tariffs.

Who directed the Backrooms movie and how old was he?

The film was directed by Kane Parsons, also known online as Kane Pixels. This marked his feature length directorial debut. Parsons first gained attention for his YouTube web series of the same name, which began in January 2022. His work on the viral series led to Hollywood studios approaching him about a film adaptation. He was 20 years old when Backrooms was released in 2026, making him the youngest filmmaker to reach number one at both the domestic and global box office with a film.

How did the Backrooms movie perform at the box office?

Backrooms was a massive box office success. It grossed $402.5 million worldwide against a budget of under $10 million, becoming the highest grossing film in A24's history. It opened to $81.5 million domestically, setting a record for the studio. The film's performance made director Kane Parsons the youngest filmmaker to reach number one at both the United States and global box offices. It finished as the second highest grossing horror film of 2026 and the fifth highest grossing independent film of all time.

Will there be a Backrooms sequel or television series?

Yes, a sequel is in active development. In May 2026, director Kane Parsons confirmed he was not done with the Backrooms universe and had projects in the works. By September 2026, it was reported that Parsons had signed a deal with A24 to direct the sequel, with an announcement expected imminently. Parsons has also expressed interest in developing a Backrooms television series, indicating multiple avenues for expanding the franchise following the first film's success. His original YouTube web series will also continue.

What are the main themes of the Backrooms movie?

The film explores themes of trauma, memory, failure, and psychological imprisonment. Critics noted its examination of how people become walled up in their own memories or perceived failures. The Backrooms themselves are described as a prism that refracts its visitors, and the entities within are likened to distorted memories rather than monsters. The screenplay also incorporates metaphors about gentrification as a repression of the past. Culturally, the film has been connected to Generation Z's unease with digital life, lockdown isolation, and the disorienting effects of algorithms and artificial intelligence.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-18.