SALT LAKE CITY — Have you ever walked into an empty place and thought someone was watching you? Well… they were.
Renate Reinsve plays a therapist whose patient, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, suddenly goes missing.
The patient is struggling with his relationships and lack of career momentum, which leads him to take a job at a discount furniture store. But when he discovers that the electrical problem haunting him is actually a passage into a seemingly endless world of fluorescent lights, yellow walls, and musty carpeting, he begins to realize he’s not alone, and may never find his way back out of this unsettling psychological labyrinth.
Defining the creepypasta genre
I went into this film without realizing “Backrooms” originated as an internet “creepypasta” back in 2019. For those unfamiliar, creepypastas are essentially internet-born horror stories or urban legends, often with no clear origin.
We’ve seen adaptations before with films like “Slender Man” and the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” franchise, both of which found major success. Now, A24 is stepping into the subgenre, and to my surprise, “Backrooms” may be the best creepypasta adaptation yet.
Impressive production design and atmosphere
What immediately stands out is the attention to detail and commitment to practical sets. Director Kane Parsons reportedly built over 30,000 square feet of maze-like hallways, recreating the signature yellow walls, humming lights and suffocating unease that make the environment so memorable.
Even when the pacing slows down, the atmosphere never lets go of you. In fact, the slower moments only increase the tension as you start scanning every hallway and dark corner in fear of what might be waiting there.
And honestly, this may just be me, but part of me wanted to explore the place myself. I’ve always loved urban exploration videos of abandoned malls or forgotten facilities, and while these backrooms are terrifying, there’s also something strangely comforting about them.
Creature design and deeper themes
The variety of rooms and funhouse-like environments is genuinely impressive. The creature designs are disturbing, thoughtful and deeply unsettling.
There’s also a fascinating layer underneath all the horror involving memory, identity and the way our recollections can fade, distort or even become false over time. The film trusts the audience to sit with those ideas rather than overexplaining them, and I appreciated that. Different viewers will likely walk away with different interpretations, and that ambiguity works in the film’s favor.
Critique of narrative ambiguity
That said, the movie almost withholds too much. There’s very little explanation for what the Backrooms actually are or how they came to exist. By the end, it feels like the film is finally about to pull back the curtain, only for it to abruptly stop short. I respect the restraint, but I’m still not entirely convinced the film benefits from holding back quite as much as it does. Mainstream audiences may find that frustrating.
Final verdict and recommendation
Overall, “Backrooms” is subtly horrifying, an unnerving blend of calm, emptiness and creeping dread that constantly has you bracing for jumpscares the director cleverly refuses to deliver. It’s atmospheric, deeply unsettling and absolutely worth experiencing in a theater.
Final grade: 7.2/10
