Backrooms
Kane Parsons
Like describing a dog to somebody who has never seen one.
Theater · Horror
Unsettling thoughts is the long and short of this film.
Backrooms offers you less of a story and more of the sensation of tuning into an otherworldly frequency. You will either enjoy the vibrations or not, and it's fine.
But I deeply enjoy the liminal space, the horrors beyond comprehension, the secrets of the universe lurking in plain sight. Dearly beloved game franchises from Remedy embrace this (Control, Alan Wake, Quantum Break, et al.). It's a fun exercise in thought that can be reminiscent of a night terror, which you can't help but think of and try to unpack.
Otherwise, this is another directorial debut (this one from a 20-year-old!) that is fantastic and based on his YouTube series that is based on old internet creepypasta. And A24, so it's got that brand stamp on it too.
Good length and fine enough pacing, although a bit repetitive in the middle that could have used some variety — more monster variety and perhaps more two-stooge screen time. But it opened and closed very well, and the practical effects with smart on-set work (vs. Grogu CGI slopshit) were all excellent. And the set design was simply perfect for inducing those vibrations we talked about.
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