Chiwetel Ejiofor stars in A24’s newest horror film, Backrooms, based on an internet thread from the 2010s. Photo: A24 Studios.
The Backrooms began life as a single image posted to 4chan of a dimly lit, claustrophobic office space.
It was a creepy thread online, diving into the history of the post and leaving many people believing the rooms exist in an extradimensional space that goes on forever, separate from our own reality.
The concept was further defined when YouTuber Kane Parsons created a series of internet shorts that delved deeper into the lore of The Backrooms (as opposed to Backrooms, the film we’re discussing today), how to access them and what fills the space.
It took the internet by storm, with Parsons amassing over 330 million views on his channel. It led to Parsons, who was just 19 at the time, being handed the keys to direct a full feature-length film based on the concept backed by independent studio A24, simply titled Backrooms.
In just its first weekend, Backrooms amassed $117 million worldwide on just a $10 million budget, making Parsons the youngest director of all time to top the American domestic box office.
But is it any good?
Similar to Parsons’ short films, the movie centres on a mysterious, seemingly endless office-like space accessible via the basement of a struggling furniture store run by Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor).
Clark is recently divorced, struggles with alcohol and is living in his store. His only interactions with the outside world are with his young employees and his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).
After discovering the space, Clark is drawn to learning more about it despite the unsettling nature of this seemingly endless reality.
Backrooms is an interesting film because it can be viewed in one of two ways.
People who are aware of the history and internet culture surrounding The Backrooms have expressed their enjoyment of the film, while those who aren’t as well-versed have voiced frustration with the lack of explanation for much of what is shown.
The original 4chan image that started the thread that inspired The Backrooms’ subculture. Photo: Anonymous.
As someone with a slight understanding of the concept, having seen a couple of the original short films, I believe this movie, while very eerie and creepy, misses the mark for general audiences.
The locations and props are undoubtedly off-putting, but at no point was I scared. This is due to a lack of a clear central plot.
Aside from brief mentions of Clark’s homelife and history, most of which occur quite late into the piece, there’s little reason to care about Clark’s exploration of this mysterious world.
There’s no concern for him. I kept thinking about the line from Ivan Drago from Rocky IV: “If he dies, he dies.” Meh …
It’s a shame because in the moments where Ejiofor is allowed to shine, he’s fantastic. A scene late on with his therapist, Mary, is easily the highlight of the entire film. It gives insight into what the place is and just how disturbing it can be, all while showing how it ties back to Clark.
Renate Reinsve is also fantastic and is easily the most interesting character in the film. She’s got a dark past of her own, and her job as a therapist, telling Clark how to address his demons while drowning her own, is a great idea.
The only issue is that these pay off 80 minutes into the film – and they’re slow minutes. The destination isn’t worth the journey.
With that said, there’s so much to be impressed by. Parsons does a lot with a little.
The Backrooms themselves are uncomfortable, largely due to Parsons’ direction and framing. And it’s worth restating that he was still a teenager when most of the movie was filmed.
He’s a clever director, but the movie never quite hits full gear – likely because A24 chased a wider audience by keeping the rating to a tamer M (PG-13) instead of funding a full MA/R horror film.
So, with little explanation of what is actually going on and dialled-back themes and imagery, it is difficult to recommend this to anyone unaware of the existing internet lore.
The groundwork is in place, but for several reasons, this movie feels more like a feature-length YouTube video than a horror box-office topper.
Backrooms is now showing in cinemas across the country.
