“You shouldn’t be here.”
With that chilling warning, Backrooms steps from the darkest corners of the internet onto the big screen. The first teaser for Backrooms, directed by viral horror visionary Kane Parsons, has arrived. This marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for a concept that has redefined online horror for an entire generation.
What began as a simple, eerie upload by Parsons, a crude descent into the limits of endless fluorescent lighting, quickly evolved into a cultural phenomenon. His original short stories didn’t just go viral. It reshaped the visual language of modern horror, fusing analog horror, digital age myth-making, and the stifling terror of infinite, inescapable space. Now, that nightmare expands into a feature film event.
Bringing gravitas and emotional depth to Labyrinth are Academy Award nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, who also star in a cast that includes Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell. Their involvement shows that this is not just an internet adaptation, but a high-end horror project with serious cinematic ambitions.
The screenplay is by Will Sudic, who translates the abstract, existential horror of backroom mythology into a story based on character and consequences. At the heart of the film is a deceptively simple setting. A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom. But as the teaser makes clear, stepping over that threshold means stepping into a world where reality is broken, time is dissolved, and survival is uncertain.
Behind the scenes on this project is an extraordinary production team. Horror powerhouse James Wan teams up with Michael Clear, Roberto Patino, Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, Dan Levine, Osgood Perkins, Chris Ferguson, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Cori Adelson for a lineup that bridges blockbuster spectacle and arthouse angst.
The teaser itself leans towards minimalism. There are no easy answers or overexplained myths. Just a creeping feeling that something is fundamentally wrong. Endless yellow hallways groan under harsh fluorescent lights. Space extends beyond logic. The camera lingers just long enough to suspect that something has moved in the corner of the frame. It is a distillation of fear.
What made Parsons’ original work so powerful was its restraint, its understanding that fear thrives in ambiguity. That philosophy is reflected here as well. Rather than overcomplicating the mythology, the film seems poised to expand the emotional and psychological stakes, rooting cosmic horror in human frailty.
In an age of ever-evolving horror, from high-level psychological thrillers to experimental digital-age nightmares, Backrooms feels like a convergence point. While acknowledging its Internet-born origins, the film confidently steps onto the scale of cinema, backed by experienced filmmakers and a skilled ensemble cast.
The descent will soon begin for the Australian audience. “Backrooms” will be released in theaters nationwide on May 28th. Please remember. It means we shouldn’t be here.
Source: OutLoud! Culture – outloudculture.com
