“Backrooms,” the directorial debut of YouTube‑trained Kane Parsons, is ripe for critique.
What excites us more is imagining what this 20‑year‑old talent might create next. If his future films retain the inventive, creepy, and original spirit of “Backrooms,” horror fans will be thoroughly satisfied.
They’ll be ecstatic.
The movie carries a strong arthouse sensibility, suggesting a seasoned eye behind the camera. While Parsons is young, the visuals on screen feel consequential. He understands that minor details can outweigh the larger set pieces, and that precision makes this compact, probing story linger long after the credits.
Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Clark, a furniture‑store owner whose simmering rage threatens to explode. He attends therapy after a failed marriage, and his therapist, Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve), proposes a role‑playing exercise that quickly becomes revelatory.
Clark’s anger surfaces easily, but his attention soon shifts elsewhere.
His warehouse—or at least its faulty electrical system—drives him to drink. While exploring the building, Clark discovers a wall that functions like an invisible door, leading him into a series of strange rooms.
Further description would spoil the experience, but the film’s deliberate narrative disruption remains consistently compelling.
“Backrooms” deftly adds texture and narrative quirks that make its world feel both real and unsettling. Smaller character moments ground the experience.
Parsons and screenwriter Will Soodik insert a tongue‑in‑cheek TV commercial in which Clark dons a pirate persona to promote his furniture shop. It’s humorous on its own, and its placement feels anything but random.
This steady approach runs throughout the film, even as we wonder whether the scattered clues will ultimately cohere. Let the creeping tension wash over you, inch by inch, as the threat level quietly escalates.
The scares are raw and distinctive, offering a fresh take on horror. The “found‑footage” segments and an uneven prelude feel less effective, reminding us why that style fell out of favor.
Visually, the production stays modest, yet the resources employed are purposeful rather than distracting. The setting—a bleak landscape of muted colors, abandoned furniture, and an aversion to conventional talk therapy—feels consequential.
Parsons also co‑created the eerie soundtrack, further embedding “Backrooms” into the genre.
Some subplots remain unresolved, and a brief appearance by indie favorite Mark Duplass feels unfinished, though undeniably unsettling.
Overall, “Backrooms” may polarize viewers, but few can deny its ability to command and retain attention.