The greatest horror story of 2026 didn’t happen in a writer’s room or a movie studio. It began with an odd picture that was circulating on the web: a blank yellow room, and it somehow seemed very disturbing.
Now, that image has inspired A24’s major theatrical release, ‘Backrooms’, helmed by internet creator Kane Parsons. Now, many people are curious about the crazy online phenomenon that inspired the film, as well.
How A Forgotten Internet Image Created The Backrooms Universe
The ‘Backrooms’ existed long before it came to be a film; it was a piece of internet folklore. The images posted on the message board 4chan in 2019 were disturbing; strangely, there’s nothing really scary in them. One of them was a picture of an empty, yellow, office-like room.
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One user added a short story that if someone accidentally “noclipped” out of reality, they may find themselves in a maze of fluorescent-lit rooms called the Backrooms. The concept resonated with people. No jump scares, no killers in the dark, and no haunted houses. Rather, it was the isolation and familiarity that gave rise to the horror.
The long yellow corridors seemed like a familiar sight to many: an empty school corridor, a deserted office, or a forgotten corner of a shopping mall. The idea spread and thousands of users added to the mythology in forums, wikis, videos, and art. The Backrooms was one of the internet’s most popular creepypastas, alongside the legends like Slender Man.
The Unlikely Rise Of The ‘Backrooms’
Things took a turn for the worse in 2022 when Kane Parsons put The Backrooms (Found Footage) on YouTube. The concept of a video on the internet became a film with a low-budget video. With realistic found footage, creepy environments, and terrifying creatures, Parsons created a ‘Backrooms’ that was truly terrifying.
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The video went viral and has been viewed by millions of people, leading to the creation of a series. The success eventually got Hollywood’s attention. Now, Parsons has made the leap from YouTube creator to feature-film director with A24’s Backrooms. The movie’s initial reception is promising, indicating that viewers are keen to experience the horror on the big screen.
From an enigmatic image that went viral on the Internet to a full-fledged movie franchise, it’s an extraordinary journey! The Backrooms have officially broken into the mainstream, for a horror concept that came from the weirdest part of the internet.
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