Backrooms

I felt the movie was quite weak when it came to the story and plot , Because of that, the ending felt empty and unsatisfying, as if the director didn't know how to wrap things up mainly , because there wasn't much of a story to begin with. It honestly felt like a group of friends said, "Let's make a movie," and simply went ahead and made one.

That said, the cinematography deserves credit, and there was clear effort put into the visual side of the film. The director is still young, and I genuinely wish him the best of luck in his future projects.

Clark is facing major issues with the faulty wiring at his struggling furniture store. When he goes to explore the source of the electrical disruptions in the basement, he discovers a bizarre, hidden labyrinth of empty rooms tucked directly behind his showroom. Desperate to explore this unsettling architectural anomaly, he steps through the invisible threshold, unaware that he is entering a sprawling universe of endless, inescapable corridors.

This film is definitive proof that you do not need a budget of endless millions to make a completely successful movie, showing exactly what is possible through pure imagination. At times it feels entirely new and unique; with the found footage genre having been quiet for some time, the filmmakers timed this release perfectly. It captures a bizarre and thoroughly off-kilter world, delivering a real triumph of psychological unease that captures the imagination from the outset.

The journey to reach the finale is so wonderfully surreal that it never derails the enjoyment of the film, even if the ending does not quite land as effectively as one might like. Chiwetel Ejiofor is utterly class here, and his willingness to ground such a bizarre, low-budget indie project makes me appreciate his artistic integrity all the more; he is terrific as the fracturing architect. Renate Reinsve also stands out as his therapist, Mary, essentially stealing the second half of the movie.

Visually, the film is marvellous, capturing the tacky 1980s aesthetic perfectly from the hideous, velour-drenched showroom to the endless runs of oppressive beige corridors. The imagery inside the labyrinth grows increasingly surreal as the narrative develops, relying on atmospheric dread rather than cheap Hollywood jump scares. The horror genre is flourishing, and this creative triumph thoroughly deserves to achieve cult status in the future.

8/10.

I saw someone say in a review "Falls flat in the third act", however it seemed like there was no "third act". It's almost like there was a full script, but the producer said: "there's no more budget, lets stop the movie". The ending felt like a setup for a third act, but it wasn't there! The characters however, were very well written, I was really invested in them both. Moreover the characters really connected with the idea of the Backrooms which was a nice touch. I just feel like there was no real ending to the story which wrapped up those character's story arcs. The concept is amazing and it leaves you wanting more, which is good. However the ending was just missing, a 25 minute segment of catharsis...

Backrooms is one of the most interesting horror films I have seen recently because it feels genuinely different. It does not simply repeat the usual formulas of modern horror; it expands the genre through psychological fear, liminal spaces, trauma, memory, and emotional collapse.

What makes the film even more fascinating is its origin. It comes from a creepypasta and from Kane Parsons' YouTube universe, which makes the project feel like a real generational shift. A24 taking the risk of giving that strange internet-born concept the space to become a feature film feels important. The result is ambitious, weird, risky, and surprisingly effective.

One of the strongest elements is the cinematography. The film uses detail shots, side profiles, overhead shots, wide frames, close-ups, high angles, and low angles to build tension and disorientation. The camera does not just observe the characters; it traps them. The yellow-green palette inside the Backrooms creates a constant feeling of uncertainty, while the exterior scenes use contrast, light, and time of day to separate reality from psychological collapse.

The film reminded me of The Lighthouse, not because they are the same, but because both are focused, actor-driven psychological stories built around isolation and internal damage. Here, the horror is not only about what exists inside the Backrooms, but about what the characters carry into them.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is excellent as Clark. His character does not evolve upward; he descends further into his own misery. Renate Reinsve is also very strong, giving the film a more vulnerable and emotional counterpoint.

Some secondary characters do not stand out as much, and the ending leaves the door open in a way that may divide viewers. Still, Backrooms is strange, original, well-acted, visually powerful, and atmospheric.

The first hour had me completely locked in. Wandering through endless yellow hallways shouldn't be this effective, but the atmosphere is so strong that I was constantly waiting for something to go wrong. Even when not much was happening, the feeling of being trapped in a place that doesn't make sense was enough to keep me engaged.

The problem is that the more it tried to become something bigger, the less interested I became. What started as an unsettling descent into the unknown gradually shifted toward ideas that never felt fully developed. Instead of adding to the tension, a lot of it ended up diluting what made those earlier sections work so well.

Visually, though, it's hard not to be impressed. The production design, sound work, and overall sense of space are easily the highlights. I just wish the second half trusted those strengths as much as the first half did.