Backrooms (film)

Development

On January 7, 2022, Kane Parsons began uploading an anthological video series titled Backrooms onto his YouTube channel Kane Pixels, the concept being based on the internet creepypasta of the same name.^[13]

In February 2023, a film adaptation was announced as a joint production between A24, Chernin Entertainment, Atomic Monster, and 21 Laps Entertainment, with Parsons directing, making it his feature-length directorial debut, and Roberto Patino writing.^[14] Parsons would become A24's youngest feature director. The film is produced by James Wan, Shawn Levy, and Osgood Perkins.^[15] Chernin Entertainment financed the film for under $10 million.^[16]

In May 2025, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Cristin Milioti entered negotiations to star in the film.^[17] Ejiofor was confirmed the following month, with Will Soodik writing the latest draft. Milioti's deal ultimately fell through and Renate Reinsve was cast in her place.^[18] Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell and Avan Jogia were added to the cast in July.^[9]

Filming

Principal photography began in Vancouver, Canada on July 7, 2025, under the working title of Effigy.^[19] Filming wrapped on August 14, 2025.^[20]

Parsons previously used the 3D software Blender and Adobe After Effects to complete his original YouTube videos. For the feature film, over 30,000 square feet (2,800 m²) of Backrooms were built, which reportedly led to people getting lost on set.^[21]

Music

Edo Van Breemen and Parsons composed the score for the film.^[22]

Box office

In early May 2026, initial projections had Backrooms grossing around $20 million in its opening weekend.^[16] By the week of its release, projections had increased to $40-50 million.^[3][26]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 105 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10.^[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[28]

Amy Nicholson for Los Angeles Times described the film as a feature expansion of Kane Parsons' viral internet project, praising its unsettling visual concept but thought that is less a conventional horror film and more as a surreal, dreamlike experience of a moving Salvador Dalí painting. She also highlighted the performances of the cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve.^[29] Dan Bayer of Next Best Picture praised Reinsve and Ejiofor for conveying emotion through subtle acting even when the script is sparse. He also said Parsons arrived "as a fully formed filmmaker," with exceptional control over imagery, pacing, and dread.^[30] Sonny Bunch of The Bulwark argued that while the movie can be overly explicit in its themes, its emotional honesty, visual creativity, and psychological depth make it "tremendously effective," "astute," and memorable.^[31]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety highlighted Parsons' skill at creating dread through mood, sound design, and eerie visuals rather than conventional jump scares. He said the film draws comparisons to Eraserhead (1977), Skinamarink (2022), and The Shining (1980) for its haunting use of empty spaces and dreamlike horror.^[32] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian highlighted the film's oppressive atmosphere, striking production design, and unsettling yellow-lit visuals, comparing its themes and style to Japanese horror, Severance (2022–present), and The Rehearsal (2022–present).^[33] Angie Han from The Hollywood Reporter praised Backrooms as an unsettling and immersive expansion of the universe, highlighting Parsons' use of labyrinthine spaces, sterile fluorescent lighting, and a constant sense of disorientation to build tension.^[1]