The final shot will spark endless theories about the nature of the titular hell.
Released last week in the US and the UK, the main horror hit of the year is finally making its way to European cinemas. The wait was worth it.
Have you ever found yourself in an empty corridor that seems to stretch endlessly, or in a deserted room where 'something is not right'?
Chances are, you've encountered such transitional spaces as a hotel corridor, an airport boarding area, or an office hallway reminiscent of 'Severance' – places that feel both familiar and ominous. It’s as if time has frozen there: it’s not alien enough to become a true nightmare, but not familiar enough to be comforting.
Have you ever 'noclipped' out of reality and found yourself in an endless dreary interior, where evil might be lurking around the corner? Let’s hope not.
This is the fate that befalls failed architect and depressed furniture store owner Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) – the main character of the film 'Backrooms' (in Russian, 'Закулисье реальности') by 20-year-old YouTuber and now debut director Kane Parsons. He discovers an invisible portal inside Cap’n Clark’s Ottoman Empire, which leads him into an otherworldly space with yellow, jaundiced walls, buzzing lights, and endless levels.
When Clark disappears into this simultaneously mundane and strange labyrinth of liminal spaces, his therapist Mary (Renate Reinsve) sets out to find him and ultimately crosses over to the other side of the mirror... However, this place will certainly not turn out to be Wonderland.
Although box office numbers alone are not an indicator of a film's quality, the success of 'Backrooms' cannot be overlooked and must be acknowledged. Parsons' debut opened in the US with $81 million against a budget of $10 million, making it the highest-grossing opening in A24's history. It also made Parsons the youngest director ever to top the American box office.
Part of the success may lie in the already established audience: 'Backrooms' began as a popular internet folklore that grew out of a creepypasta post on 4chan. Later, Parsons created a web series based on this urban myth, which garnered 200 million views since 2022. However, the phenomenal success of the 2026 film is likely due to the overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth effect.
The thing is, 'Backrooms' offers viewers everything at once. A palpable sense of anxiety. Surreal nightmare logic. Strong performances from Ejiofor and the universally beloved Norwegian actress. Disturbing settings enhanced by an equally sinister soundtrack. A pinch of Lovecraftian horror and body horror that makes you shiver. Scares that lurk at the edge of your vision. Echoes of 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'Cube', amplified by inserts of pseudo-archival VHS footage and a 1990s atmosphere. An understanding of the uniquely unsettling metaphorical connection between architecture and neural pathways, brilliantly explored in 'The Shining'. And much more.
This unhurried development of his web series not only respects the established canon but also allows those unfamiliar with the viral myth to immerse themselves in its unsettling world without any preparation. The viewer is thrown into a vast yet claustrophobic world that thrives on the chilling power of oddly placed objects – and how disturbing it is to see a familiar detail where it clearly doesn’t belong.
Beyond the initial effect of horror, Parsons subtly makes 'Backrooms' a story about two lonely people: a disillusioned divorced man with unresolved anger and a psychologist trying to help others while grappling with her own childhood traumas. The sinister world of Backrooms reflects their inner conflicts and becomes a physical embodiment of how we all become prisoners of the psychological loops we create ourselves. They lock us in and make us reach for the same wrong decisions over and over again. Given this, in his debut, Parsons emphasizes not so much survival in a world reminiscent of 'Annihilation', but the attempt to break behavioral cycles. How? By realizing that the most formidable threat always comes from within.
For all its chilling allure and the joyful buzz surrounding 'Backrooms', the film cannot be called flawless. Some seasoned horror fans may not experience the same thrill as the younger audience looking for their 'Blair Witch', and the final act is sure to divide viewers. It indeed shows that the script has weak points, primarily in the dialogues, which sometimes noticeably falter. Add to this the 'tacked-on' mythology of MKUltra, graciously provided by the mysterious Async Research Institute – and it threatens to undermine the simplicity of the minimalist yet fruitful idea in the spirit of 'The Twilight Zone'.
Nevertheless, the final shot will spark endless theories about the nature of the titular hell. Is it a universe populated by world-creating monsters, or a projection of the subconscious? There is value in Parsons' decision to hint and tease rather than lay everything out plainly.
And all of this – from a 20-year-old prodigy who saw one image online, imagined an entire world based on it, confidently developed his vision, transitioned from YouTube to Hollywood, and delivered the main horror of the year as 2026 approaches its end...
What were you doing at his age?
Better not to remember... There could be horrors lurking there too.
