Why Audiences Are So Excited About A24’s ‘Backrooms’

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A24 has become well-known for producing critically acclaimed horror films over the past ten years, including favorites like Hereditary, Midsommar, and the X series. Their newest film, Backrooms, is a sci-fi horror movie starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, and it’s quickly become a must-see for horror fans after the release of its creepy trailer. Directed by Kane Parsons in his first feature film, Backrooms will be released in the US on May 29th, 2026.

The movie Backrooms isn’t just getting attention from A24; it also has the support of some major names in filmmaking, like horror director James Wan, Shawn Levy (known for Stranger Things and the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine), Dan Levine (Arrival), and Osgood Perkins (Longlegs). With a good budget and this level of talent involved, Backrooms has the potential to become a truly iconic horror film. However, what really makes it stand out is the passionate online community that started building hype for the project back in February 2023.

‘Backrooms’ Is Based on a Viral 4CHAN Thread

The Backrooms started as an online story in 2019 on the website 4chan. It’s become known as a never-ending maze of empty rooms that exist outside of what we consider reality. These spaces are a classic example of “liminal spaces” – places that feel unsettling because they’re empty and abandoned. It all began with a single photo of a store being remodeled, but online communities have built on that idea, adding different levels, scary creatures, and a whole backstory. The Backrooms have a very specific look: pale yellow walls with simple wallpaper, mostly empty rooms, and the constant hum of fluorescent lights. The original description, posted anonymously on 4chan, read:

Be careful not to glitch outside of reality – if you end up in the wrong place, you’ll find yourself in the Backrooms. It’s a terrifying, endless maze of empty rooms filled with the smell of damp carpet, a sickly yellow color, and the constant, buzzing sound of fluorescent lights. It covers an impossibly large area, and if you hear anything moving around, know that it definitely heard you too.

I’ve become fascinated by the Backrooms, and it’s amazing how they’re presented! The idea is you can get there by ‘noclipping’ – it’s a gaming term for a cheat that lets you walk through solid objects – and the trailer actually shows people doing it, just phasing right out of reality. It’s a really cool effect!

‘Backrooms’ 20-Year-Old Director Is the YouTuber Who Created the Original ‘The Backrooms’ Web Series

Recently, several film studios have taken a chance on new directors in the horror genre, and it’s paid off with some great movies. Now, A24 is doing the same with Backrooms, a film directed by Kane Parsons, a 20-year-old creator known online as “Kane Pixels.” The idea for The Backrooms first appeared on 4chan, but it was Parsons’ popular 23-part web series that really expanded the story and made it widely known.

I’ve been following Kane Parsons’ work for a while now, and it’s amazing to see how far he’s come! It all started with this incredible web series he made back in 2022, when he was still a teenager. That series is actually what got him noticed by A24 and led to him working on their new movie. The series was done in a really cool ‘found footage’ style, digging into the location and the organizations involved – and even some of the strange things inside it. What’s even more impressive is that he taught himself animation in Blender and his unique visual style is all over the movie’s trailer. I know studios always have some say, but from what I’ve seen, Backrooms really feels like Kane Parsons’ vision brought to life.

‘Backrooms’ Has Award-Winning Producers and Two Academy Award Nominees as Its Leads

A24’s backing is already significant, but the involvement of so many award-winning producers elevates the film Backrooms even further. The producer list boasts horror icon James Wan (known for Saw and The Conjuring), Shawn Levy (Stranger Things, Deadpool & Wolverine), Osgood Perkins (Longlegs), Dan Levine (Arrival), and several other industry veterans. While the film is director Parsons’ vision, he clearly has a strong team of experienced and talented producers offering their support and guidance. This likely gave A24 the confidence to give Parsons, a first-time director, the creative freedom to bring his vision to life.

Beyond a strong team behind the camera, Parsons also had the opportunity to work with two incredibly talented actors, both of whom have received Academy Award nominations. Chiwetel Ejiofor, known for his role in 12 Years a Slave, stars as Clark. He’s a highly decorated British actor with an Oscar nomination and numerous Primetime Emmy nominations, among other awards.

Chiwetel Ejiofor stars alongside Renate Reinsve, the Norwegian actress recently nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the 2025 film Sentimental Value. The film also features Mark Duplass, known for horror films like Creep, as well as Finn Bennett (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), Lukita Maxwell (Shrinking), and Avan Jogia (Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City). Because of the film’s premise, the number of human actors is small, but viewers can expect to see other, non-human characters within the unsettling world of Backrooms.

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2026-04-01 23:04