Based on the viral internet phenomenon, YouTube creator and ‘wunderkind’ Kane Parsons brings his first full-fledged psychological horror film to the big screen. In Backrooms (2026) slowly but mercilessly blurs the line between reality and nightmare. When furniture salesman Clark discovers a hidden portal in the basement of his store, he ends up in the so-called Backrooms: an endless maze of abandoned office spaces that seems to be constantly changing. As his therapist desperately tries to bring him back, it becomes clear that there is something lurking just out of sight in this other reality. An oppressive horror film that plays with isolation, paranoia and the fear of the unknown.
A24 is betting on a new horror voice
Kane Parsons makes his directorial debut at the age of 20, an impressive achievement that immediately earned a lot of praise, including for A24, which dared to take the risk. Although it is not an extremely high risk; With an estimated budget of approximately $10 million and a cast that includes Oscar-nominated actors, expectations are high. That is not surprising: Parsons built with his YouTube series Backrooms already a worldwide phenomenon, with more than 300 million views. This immediately sets the bar remarkably high for his first cinema film. The question is whether he can translate that online hype into a full-fledged Hollywood horror film.
A first act that is difficult to match
We meet Clark, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave (2013)), and it soon becomes clear that he is unhappy. Through conversations with his therapist Mary, played by Renate Reinsve in her first role since her Oscar nomination for Sentimental Value (2025), we get to know him in a way that feels fresh. Clark is the manager of a furniture store and it is there that he finds the Backrooms: an endless maze of almost empty rooms with an atmosphere that makes you uneasy. Accompanied by a very nasty (and therefore very good) score by Edo Van Breemen and Parsons himself, Clark investigates what lies behind those doors. The first act of Backrooms is not only impressive, but perhaps one of the strongest in recent years in the horror genre. A fine performance by Parsons, although he does not manage to maintain that quality until the end.
Recognizable, but never old-fashioned
Found footage and horror have been inextricably linked since the early 2000s. Parsons does not reinvent the wheel, but he does know how to shape the genre in a fresh way. The found footage elements never feel forced and are naturally woven into the story. In the second act, the film logically slows down a bit, which also loses some of the tension. At the same time, this creates more space for Mary’s character, although afterwards you may wonder how much that extra depth really adds in the end. As soon as she too finds her way to the Backrooms, the focus shifts more and more to the mystery behind this bizarre world, and the need for answers grows.
More questions than answers
Backrooms is an impressive performance by Kane Parsons, who already shows at a young age that he has a promising future. With relatively little traditional horror, the film still manages to maintain a good tension almost consistently. Although Backrooms is certainly not completely open-ended, many of the big questions remain deliberately unanswered. That choice won’t work for everyone, especially for viewers who are looking for clear explanations surrounding the Backrooms themselves. At the same time, it ensures that there is plenty of room for your own interpretation and possible follow-up. And perhaps that is ultimately its greatest strength Backrooms: that the mystery remains more interesting than the answer ever could have been.
Image: Still ‘Backrooms’ via Filmdepot
