The digital urban legend of The Backrooms is both fascinating and terrifying in concept. However, when adapted to the big screen, it left lots to be desired.
The Backrooms is a fictional location that originated on a 2019 4chan thread. A user posted an image of an empty office space with yellow walls and fluorescent lights. It has been portrayed as an extremely large space that can only be found when one exits reality. In 2022, YouTuber and young filmmaker Kane Parsons created a series of found-footage short films. Following the success of these short films, A24 hired Parsons to direct a Backrooms feature film.
The film follows failed architect and struggling furniture salesman Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor)as he handles the personal fallout of a divorce and alcoholism. He frequently visits his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve), and often discusses his feelings following his failed marriage. Following some mysterious problems with the store’s electricity and breaker board, Clark opens a portal of sorts to The Backrooms. After telling Mary about the place and being met with disbelief, Clark returns to the mysterious space in an attempt to prove her wrong. This is where chaos ensues. Clark and others find out they aren’t alone. Without spoiling too much, dealing with her own childhood trauma, Mary is concerned and goes to find Clark. From here, we see the vastness of the backrooms, and things get really unsettling and weird.
Despite my complaints, I thought the acting was good. Both Ejiofor and Reinsve did great in their roles. However, I felt like their characters were written in such a way that they lacked depth and character development. Just as Clark was seemingly changing, he would revert to his stubborn self thanks to his time in the backrooms. Yet we don’t know how long he was actually there. Mary also felt shallow. We saw bits of her childhood trauma that felt like an attempt to add depth, but it was presented in a way that didn’t add much to the overall story.
Beyond the acting, I loved how the backrooms looked. Parsons and the team really nailed the vastness and the tiny details. The experience was very immersive, and I really appreciated that. However, it felt like they built the perfect set, then remembered they had to create a story on the set. The story was confusing. I understood the message about unresolved trauma and escape. However, the way in which it was presented felt very baffling, and I didn’t enjoy the presentation. The pacing lacks consistency. At times, the film was dragging along, and I was nearly falling asleep to the hum of the fluorescent lights. Then, it would hit the fast-forward button on the character development and not explain certain things. Ultimately, it felt like they had an amazing idea (The Backrooms) and tried to wrap a mediocre story around it, and it just didn’t fit. The story felt like it was setting up much more. With a strong ($85-$90 million) opening weekend, it seems likely there will be much more. However, I don’t believe it gives this first installment a pass. A film being the “pilot episode” doesn’t excuse it for lacking in quality.
Internet lore for The Backrooms is very deep. Online communities have formed around these liminal space concepts, and those embedded in those groups seem to really enjoy this. I had a decent understanding of these concepts before watching the movie, but I felt like I knew so little when watching the film. Those who enjoyed the movie have commonly used the “you didn’t understand the backrooms well enough” rebuttal to those who found this confusing. But as I stated in my Letterboxd review: Why do I need a PhD in Backrooms studies to be able to understand this film?
Reviews for “The Backrooms” have largely been mixed. Despite the problems I have, I see how some people really enjoy it. For those in the community, or those who enjoy this type of shallow horror, this is perfect. However, it just didn’t do it for me. I will be back for future installments to see how the story evolves, but as for part one of the story, I remain unimpressed.
My thoughts on this movie are pretty similar to those of my friend, Easton, with Let’s Talk Cinema. Check out his review for some expanded thoughts, similar to mine. Also, follow his page here for some more excellent reviews while you are at it!
My Rating: 2/5