Internet scares rarely make the transition to mainstream films. When the weird energy of most viral creepypastas is added to the bigger budgets and the traditional storytelling, they lose their weirdness. That’s why ‘Backrooms’ is surprising.
‘Backrooms’ Successfully Transforms Internet Horror Into Something Genuinely Creepy
Director Kane Parsons doesn’t attempt to over-explain the puzzle of the infamous liminal nightmare. Instead, he embraces the discomfort that made the concept a hit online to begin with. It’s a horror film that somehow lacks a lot of the horror and is very uncomfortable and unsettling to watch. But it’s also strangely haunting after it’s over.
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It’s a slow burn that works better than a series of jump scares ever will. The movie follows Clark, a struggling furniture owner who is already emotionally crumbling before finding the never-ending labyrinth of the Complex behind the walls of his store.
It starts as a curiosity and gradually evolves into an obsession as he explores impossible rooms, abandoned furniture, flickering lights, and rooms that shift without logic. The film shows something that a lot of contemporary horror movies don’t: Fear doesn’t always have to come face-to-face with a monster.
‘Backrooms’ Is More About Isolation Than Monsters
One of the greatest assets of the film is that it’s patient. As characters meander through expansive empty hallways and warped environments, Parsons lets the scenes breathe. After a while, even the regular rooms look wrong. It has an interesting psychological impact.
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Unlike traditional horror movies, the ‘Backrooms’ won’t kill characters. Rather, they appear to exhaust people emotionally, as if the environment is studying them. It’s a constant paranoia that permeates the atmosphere, even during moments of calm.
The film is also visually impressive. The grainy hand-held cinematography and realistic sets lend the world a disturbingly realistic feel, as if someone had actually stumbled upon forbidden footage somewhere online. It’s authentic. And that’s important for a concept that originated in internet folklore.
The monsters are not the only thing that is isolating in the backrooms. The film is actually about loneliness and emotional decay, under the guise of all the creepy imagery. Clark is not just navigating a supernatural maze; he’s running away from a life he can’t seem to mend.
The endless looping spaces around him reflect his alcoholism, failed marriage, and failure to deal with reality. Unlike many horror films of today, ‘Backrooms’ works because it relies on atmosphere rather than chaos. It doesn’t constantly scream for attention. It quietly crawls under your skin instead.
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