There are not many horror movies that come with the same sort of mystery as ‘Backrooms’ does. Before it was a movie, the project was an unsettling image, an eerie concept and a burgeoning community of fans fascinated by the prospect of endless yellow hallways just out of reach.
‘Backrooms’ has gone from being a silly scare to the silver screen and the story behind it is just as interesting.
‘Backrooms’ Is Proof The Internet Can Still Create Horror Cinematic History
The ‘Backrooms’ phenomenon started with a simple yet disturbing premise. The concept was that someone might get the chance to “noclip” out of reality and end up in a large hall of empty rooms with fluorescent lights buzzing in the corners. The idea took off like wildfire in forums, social media and fan groups, making it one of the internet’s tell-all horror stories.
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In 2022, however, the most significant advancement was the release of The Backrooms (Found Footage) on YouTube by young filmmaker Kane Parsons. With simple software such as Blender and After Effects, Parsons was able to produce a truly frightening vision of the ‘Backrooms’ that seemed quite real.
It wasn’t only the scares that made the series stand out. It was a strange sense of sadness and fear. These surroundings seemed familiar, but not quite, like half-remembered childhood memories. It was irresistible to viewers and grew into a larger mythology, attracting millions of people to watch the series.
Perhaps the most impressive part is that Parsons wasn’t an established filmmaker when he started. He was just testing an idea that he was interested in. That idea would be picked up by Hollywood a few years later.
The Wild Journey That Turned ‘Backrooms’ Into A Hollywood Horror Movie
The idea of adapting an internet horror movie into a feature film proved to be a challenge. ‘Backrooms’ work because they feel endless, impossible, disorienting. It was never going to be simple to duplicate the feeling on a film set. The production went big in response.
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Large-scale practical sets were constructed to make the labyrinth come to life, and the hallways were so convincing that the crew members were reportedly lost while navigating. That’s the sort of story that horror fans love to hear, as it reflects the filmmakers’ dedication to authenticity.
With the backing of A24 and the support of seasoned producers, Parsons was given the opportunity to bring his vision to a larger audience without sacrificing the atmosphere that made the original videos so memorable.
In a time when so many films are just new takes on pre-existing franchises, ‘Backrooms‘ is a strange internet concept that, with creativity and passion, can become one of the most discussed movies in the horror genre.
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