Backrooms (2026) Review – A Terrifying Trip Into Liminal Space

Welcome to Knockout Horror and to our very belated review of Kane Parsons’ blockbuster horror hit Backrooms (2026). Backrooms has been doing the rounds in cinemas and is about to see a re-release in the form of Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition which contains some extra footage. You might want to hit your local theatre if you missed the first outing. Let’s talk about why.

So I’m a Bit Behind on This One

I am very late to the party with Backrooms. It’s been out for well over a month and is already lined up for a double-dip reissue with about fifteen minutes of added footage. With this in mind, I won’t delve too much into the backstory because there really isn’t a tremendous amount I can add to the discourse.

“It goes without saying that this is all tremendously exciting. The YouTube to horror pipeline is proving to be insanely fruitful and Backrooms is just another example.”

The story follows furniture store clerk Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his therapist Mary (Renate Reinsve). After Clark relates to Mary the discovery of a hidden collection of rooms inside his furniture store, he vanishes without a trace. Determined to find out what happened to him, Mary heads to the location and finds herself trapped in a liminal space with no obvious escape.

Honestly, as a horror movie reviewer, this is a bit of a tough one for me. I went to the effort of setting up a horror movie review website in 2019, professed myself a genre expert, and then spent the next 7 years writing about that very subject.

When it comes to something like the whole Backrooms phenomenon, however, it feels a little outside of my wheelhouse. I’m not very in touch with a lot of what goes on when it comes to Reddit, social media, and the internet as a whole. I’ll jump online to work, I’ll read about the NFL, and browse for horror news and funny stuff but that’s about it. I missed this completely.

I’m learnding! – An internet trend I completely missed

Special credit to my fiancée here because she is a bit of an encyclopaedia of internet culture. She’s not terminally online or anything; she just picks things up because she’s obsessed with browsing memes. This is a trend that started on Reddit with a simple picture of a 70s style, yellow room found in the back of someone’s workplace, I believe.

That one photo launched a whole theory centred around the idea of “noclipping” out of reality and ending up in a liminal space consisting of endless yellow rooms that look just like the ones in the photo. While there were plenty of contributors to this whole Backrooms phenomenon, it was YouTuber Kane Parsons that took it to a whole new level.

Parsons created a whole series of videos expanding the unofficial lore of the Backrooms and transforming the trend from simple internet meme to fully realised analog-horror universe. A few years down the line and here we are: Backrooms is an actual movie with a real budget and known actors in starring roles.

It goes without saying that this is all tremendously exciting. The YouTube to horror pipeline is proving to be insanely fruitful and Backrooms is just another example. In just the past 12 months or so we have had Obsession, Shelby Oaks, Bring Her Back, Iron Lung, House on Eden and probably a few more that I am missing. The creativity flowing on that video platform seems to translate perfectly to actual film form.

With that being said…

With that being said, I am looking at Backrooms as a horror movie and not as a part of some big phenomena that underscores its meaning. From that perspective, and that perspective alone, this is an incredibly solid film. I was actually very surprised as I expected to feel a bit lost without knowledge of the lore to chew on while watching but I really wasn’t.

“Parsons has clearly taken a scoopful of something from numerous media types and somehow made them all fit together perfectly well.”

Parsons has stepped onto the big stage at just 20 years old (at the time) with a level of film-making skill that many much older directors lack. There’s something incredibly reassured about his approach that suggests he isn’t just a YouTuber trying his hand at the big screen; he’s actually a student of horror itself. This is a great looking film that shows an immense amount of restraint with its scares.

There’s some very clear nods to movies like The Shining, when it comes to architecture and spacial set design, but I also noticed hints of J-Horror (particularly Kiyoshi Kurosawa), a fair bit of anime influence, and even some video game nods. Parsons has clearly taken a scoopful of something from numerous media types and somehow made them all fit together perfectly well.

That’s a tough task for a first time director; especially considering how well it all works. It’s the narrative that really impressed me, though. Clark’s story is one that makes you both sympathise with him but also feel a bit frustrated because his problems are due to his inability to take responsibility. It’s a strong gel for something that is, ostensibly, about a man disappearing into a liminal space.

A very strong first half

That narrative gel keeps the early stages of the movie entirely captivating. There’s a sense of hopelessness to Clark that thoroughly explains why he would want to keep venturing deeper into this bizarre world he has found. A world that drags you, as the viewer, in as well with its limitless scope. Backrooms feels vast.

There is a distinct sense of the uncanny that leaves you feeling uneasy for a reason you can’t quite explain. An ominous soundtrack plays constantly to keep the vibe thoroughly unsettling early on but it’s more of a suggestion of fear rather than an outright attempt to terrify you.

It isn’t until Clark drags in fellow shop workers Bobby (Finn Bennett) and Kat (Lukita Maxwell) into his twisted new reality that the horror really kicks off.

Backrooms plays as something of a mix between traditional film and found footage horror. That makes sense as I am sure Parsons was eager to work within the medium that he knows best. The found footage scenes are where the film really shines in the scares department. This is top of the line when it comes to DIY horror presentation. Properly scary and incredibly effective.

Parsons has captured the 90s camcorder vibe in a way that won’t feel alienating to modern audience but should hit nostalgia buttons with us 90s kids. He’s also managed to really tap into what made found footage effective as a medium for terror. Something about that 4:3 perspective and grainy image, and what those murky shadows hide, really taps into a visceral part of your mind.

The second half is weaker but still decent

The second half is distinctly less strong. Parsons takes us on an almost Twin Peaks-style, Lynchian descent into the Backrooms and things get very weird. I won’t spoil anything but I think this part of the film may prove a little divisive. It’s less explained and it feels as though there is a narrative gap that will leave some people wanting.

“I am incredibly excited to see more from the hyper talented Kane Parsons in the near future.”

It’s still scary, though. It’s a very modern type of horror when it comes to internet culture and copy-pasta frights. There’s almost a Five Nights at Freddy’s vibe to it that really does work but won’t appeal to all. I still found it unsettling, though. It’s just a little less rounded out and a little more abstract.

With that being said, this is still a fantastic film. The acting deserves mention, too. Chiwetel Ejiofor is impeccable as Clark. Scenes where his true, angry self break through are brilliantly executed. Renate Reinsve does a nice job in a role that feels deliberately cartoonish. I thought Lukita Maxwell was very strong in a small role, as Kat, as well.

The most important thing to note when it comes to Backrooms is how amazingly accessible it is. It’s very easy to come in as someone with no knowledge of the movie’s lore and still enjoy the film.

It’s self-contained while still, apparently, fitting into the backrooms meta perfectly. That deserves tremendous praise and I am incredibly excited to see more from the hyper talented Kane Parsons in the near future. Go and grab your chance to see it in the cinema before it is gone.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.