Backrooms is an interesting film to see and think about once the credits roll. It’s an incredible feat for director Kane Parsons as he creates such a fascinating, claustrophobic nightmare while juggling a fairly bad script. From a technical standpoint, Parsons delivers on his promise of a Backrooms full-length feature on the big screen, yet it also feels a bit lackluster given the wickedly intriguing material. Somewhere in this script lies something better, as it almost reaches areas of cleverness, or if it does, it typically doesn’t feel too impactful. Thinking about and letting Backrooms digest since watching it makes me appreciate certain concepts more, and maybe on a rewatch I will ultimately come around on it further. However, as it stands, I think Backrooms is ultimately a good film, just shy of being great.

I think my biggest issue with this film is wanting more. I rarely think a film should be longer, but it potentially could have worked here under different circumstances. I’m not sure the plot and script have the intelligence to stretch further. One of the bigger issues I have with the script is that it never feels clever. To me, there’s never a moment that makes me think the script can stand alone and bolster its characters the way recent films such as Weapons or Nope do with their depth. Backrooms is largely carried by its director, Kane Parsons, which is even more impressive given his age and experience. What allows Parsons to have an edge is his familiarity with backrooms as a concept, as he has several years invested in the material already. His direction of scenes and sequences, along with the great talent of Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, is even more impressive, as I find the characters to be fairly bland, yet quite compelling because of the direction behind their performances. I find this clash of direction and writing that Parsons tackles further cements the confidence he exudes as a filmmaker by ultimately delivering a film that still sticks the landing when the credits roll.

Clearly, my praise here lies with Parsons and his presentation of the backrooms. I never had any doubt when it came to this because those who have seen his short films know how great they are. For this film, the impressive continuation of the backrooms shines with an actual budget and Hollywood behind it. The buildup of suspense, endlessness, and the unknown make the entire backrooms environment so addictive once we are first brought in. The film does a great job of describing the feeling of the backrooms as Ejiofor’s character, Clark, says (I can’t remember the exact wording): “Imagine describing a dog to someone who’s never seen one before and then asking them to draw it. It will look similar, but the devil is in the details, so it will look all messed up.” What has been created through the sets is rather amazing and falls so well in line with Clark’s quote. As a viewer, they match his interpretation quite well and offer up a decent variety of different locations throughout. What fascinates me so deeply about the backrooms concept as a whole is that there is no purpose or destination; it just is. It exists as a copy, a copy that doesn’t get the details exactly correct, yet appears similar to the real world it mirrors. The backrooms does not provide anything for anyone and, even more so, serves as an analogy for the film’s two main characters.

Both characters come with a lot of baggage from their past and present selves. A contrast between Clark and Reinsve’s character, Mary, allows for a back-and-forth display as the film progresses into a downward spiral of discovery. The backrooms, as the main subject and location, goes hand in hand with the personalities the characters exude. Through the backrooms creating “copies,” we see the ultimate output and self-discovery within. As the backrooms essentially acts as a brain of sorts, creating flawed memories and renditions with each new aspect evolving through time, the reflections of personality and existence create something that will forever be trapped there. The scientific company tasked with researching the backrooms being an MRI company provides even further emphasis on what the backrooms is perceived as on a national level. An MRI company and its researchers come from a different area of expertise and interpretation. The backrooms is not approached as a threat by them, nor as something they enter flooded with armed guards, as it would be pointless. They look to observe and gather intel. We are shown various tests and methods they employ, much like an MRI in the real world: analyzed and studied without invasive harm.

Backrooms and what Kane Parsons has brought to the big screen is quite impressive considering what he’s working with. It is also a film that can be rather difficult to delve into without giving important plot points away and ruining follow-up payoffs later down the line. I find Backrooms to be so interesting yet frustrating on first watch because it offers quite a bit to speculate on and read further into, yet also feels surface-level, with characters that are well acted but fairly cliché. The two side characters who are employees of Clark are very underdeveloped and ultimately two characters you don’t become attached to. What is there to even know about them? Their personalities and depth are not explored, yet they feel as if they need to be important as the film continues with them. A story overall that feels lesser than more fails to reinforce any larger point I hoped to be given by the end.

As it stands, Backrooms is going to become one of the largest horror films in a long time. Releasing around the same time as Obsession as it continues to make more money each week impressively solidifies this year as a monstrous horror season. For Kane Parsons and A24’s largest release ever by tens of millions of dollars, I can’t expect this to be the final installment in this universe. As Parsons has dedicated so much time to the backrooms idea as a whole, I am curious how much further he wishes to push it or what new ideas he wishes to explore. Focusing so much on this project can create the desire to leave it behind, or maybe, after this success, propel him forward enthusiastically. I do think a sequel or something additional will be greenlit with or without him at the helm, which I hope allows for greater depth into the backrooms overall. For Kane Parsons, I think he has absolutely established a massive name for himself, especially among the younger generations who watched him through his incredibly popular short films. Whatever he chooses next, I am excited to see what he creates.