Backrooms (2026) Spoiler Free Review
Few internet-born horror concepts have captured the imagination of audiences quite like the Backrooms. Originating from a viral 2019 4chan post, the Backrooms became one of the internet’s most recognizable creepypastas, transforming the simple image of endless yellow hallways into a modern nightmare.
Defined by its liminal spaces, eerie silence, and the unsettling idea of “no-clipping” out of reality into an endless maze of abandoned rooms, the concept quickly evolved online through fan theories, stories, levels, and terrifying entities lurking within the unknown.
Therapist Dr. Mary Kline ventures into an otherworldly dimension in search of her missing patient, Clark.
Film synopsis
In 2022, YouTuber Kane Parsons introduced his own cinematic interpretation of the Backrooms through a series of viral short films that gained millions of views for their disturbing realism and atmosphere. Now, Parsons makes his feature-length directorial debut with Backrooms (2026), an ambitious adaptation produced by A24.
The film follows therapist Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve), who ventures into the mysterious extradimensional labyrinth in search of her missing patient, Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Also starring Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell, the film attempts to expand the mythology of the Backrooms while preserving the unnerving atmosphere that made the original concept so effective online.
Visually, Backrooms excels at creating a dreadful and deeply claustrophobic atmosphere. Parsons demonstrates an impressive understanding of visual storytelling, using endless hallways, flickering fluorescent lights, distorted spaces, and rooms where objects seem unnaturally misplaced to create the sensation of being trapped inside a nightmare.
The production design constantly plays with spatial confusion, making viewers feel disoriented alongside the characters. Combined with an eerie soundtrack that amplifies every empty corridor and distant noise, the film succeeds at making the Backrooms feel genuinely terrifying.
The first thirty minutes are particularly strong. The movie takes enough time establishing Mary and Clark’s connection, grounding the emotional stakes before descending fully into surreal horror. Reinsve delivers a committed performance as Mary, balancing emotional vulnerability with determination, while Ejiofor gives Clark an unsettling presence. Their performances help anchor a story that often relies more on atmosphere than dialogue.
The film’s found footage elements and retro 90s-inspired aesthetic fit naturally within the world Parsons created online enhancing the immersive quality of the movie and maintain the analog horror feeling. Parsons deserves praise for successfully translating the eerie tone of his YouTube shorts to the big screen without losing the unsettling charm. For such a young filmmaker making his debut, it is clear that Parsons has enormous potential as a horror director.
However, despite its undeniable strengths, Backrooms struggles with pacing. At nearly two hours long, the film feels stretched beyond what its premise can naturally sustain. As the story progresses, it begins to run in circles, repeating ideas and lingering on sequences longer than necessary. This is ultimately the movie’s biggest issue: the mystery loses some of its power the more it drags the plot.
Still, Backrooms remains an effective surreal horror experience elevated by strong direction, haunting visuals, and relentless tension. While the writing could have benefited from tighter editing and a shorter runtime, Kane Parsons successfully proves that internet horror can translate into ambitious cinematic storytelling. It may not fully justify its length, but it undeniably establishes Parsons as a filmmaker with a bright future ahead.
Backrooms is now available in theaters.