Review: Backrooms is a Psychological Nightmare The Gets Under Your Skin

By Klep Napier | WeAreCritiX.com

The internet has given birth to countless urban legends, creepypastas, and digital myths over the years, but few have captured the imagination quite like The Backrooms. What began as a bizarre internet phenomenon built around endless yellow hallways and feelings of isolation has evolved into a full-fledged cinematic experience under the direction of Kane Parsons.

The result is not the jump-scare-driven horror film some audiences may be expecting. Instead, The Backroomsemerges as something far more unsettling: a psychological thriller that weaponizes fear, trauma, and uncertainty to create an experience that lingers long after the credits roll.

At its core, The Backrooms is less concerned with monsters hiding in the shadows and more interested in the monsters we carry within ourselves. Parsons understands that true fear often stems from emotions we struggle to confront. Grief, guilt, regret, loneliness, and unresolved trauma all become essential pieces of the film's DNA, transforming what could have been a straightforward horror story into something far more introspective.

One of the film's greatest strengths is its atmosphere. From the moment audiences enter the strange and increasingly disorienting world of the Backrooms, there is a constant sense of unease that never fully lets go. Parsons crafts each frame with remarkable confidence, blending retro-inspired visual design with an almost dreamlike quality that makes reality feel increasingly unstable. The aesthetic often feels like a collision between carefully curated nostalgia and psychological horror, creating an experience that is both visually fascinating and emotionally uncomfortable.

The easiest comparison may sound unusual, but it feels surprisingly accurate: imagine if Wes Anderson directed The Shining.

There is a deliberate precision to the way Parsons constructs tension. Rather than relying on excessive violence or traditional horror tropes, he allows uncertainty to become the driving force behind the fear. Audiences are constantly questioning what is real, what is imagined, and whether the horrors unfolding on screen are supernatural manifestations or reflections of something much deeper.

Much of the film's emotional weight falls on the shoulders of Chiwetel Ejiofor, who delivers one of the strongest performances of the year. As a man struggling beneath the weight of his own emotional scars, Ejiofor brings authenticity and vulnerability to a character who could have easily become overshadowed by the film's more surreal elements. Instead, he serves as the anchor that keeps the audience emotionally invested, even as the narrative ventures into increasingly strange territory.

His performance works because he never treats the material as simply another thriller. Every moment feels grounded in genuine emotional pain. As his character slowly unravels while uncovering the dark secrets hidden within the mysterious backrooms of his retail store, Ejiofor communicates fear, confusion, anger, and sorrow with remarkable subtlety. The result is a protagonist whose internal struggles become just as compelling as the external mystery surrounding him.

What makes The Backrooms particularly effective is its refusal to provide easy answers.

This is not a film interested in spoon-feeding explanations or neatly wrapping every question in a bow. Instead, Parsons embraces ambiguity, allowing audiences to interpret much of what they experience through their own lens. For some viewers, that approach may prove frustrating. For others, it will be precisely what makes the film so memorable.

There are moments where the narrative intentionally challenges conventional storytelling expectations. The film occasionally prioritizes mood and symbolism over straightforward exposition, which may leave some audiences searching for clearer answers. Yet that uncertainty feels entirely consistent with the themes Parsons is exploring. Trauma rarely presents itself in a clean, easily understandable manner, and neither does The Backrooms.

If there is a potential drawback, it is that the film demands patience from its audience. Those expecting a fast-paced horror spectacle may find themselves surprised by its slower, more deliberate approach. This is a film that asks viewers to sit with discomfort, wrestle with uncertainty, and engage with its themes on a deeper level. It is far more interested in psychological tension than traditional scares.

That said, those willing to meet the film on its own terms will likely find themselves rewarded.

At the same time, what ultimately makes The Backrooms so fascinating may also prove to be its greatest weakness. The film remains deeply committed to the unexplainable, often refusing to offer the kind of concrete answers many audiences have come to expect from modern thrillers. Even by the time the credits roll, some viewers may feel as though they are still wandering the maze alongside the protagonist, left with more questions than answers. For certain audiences, that ambiguity is precisely the point. The Backrooms exists as a mystery fueled by lore, atmosphere, and the fear of the unknown. However, casual moviegoers searching for a straightforward popcorn thriller with clear resolutions and neatly packaged explanations may find themselves frustrated.

There are moments where the experience relies heavily on eerie pacing, unsettling imagery, and quick glimpses around dark corners rather than traditional narrative payoffs. For fans invested in the mythology and psychological themes, that approach works beautifully. For others, it may feel like a puzzle that intentionally refuses to reveal its final piece. In many ways, The Backrooms only works because of its anonymity.

The unexplained is the attraction. The mystery is the point. But if you're looking for a conventional thriller that wraps everything up neatly by the end, this isn't that movie.

Final Thoughts

Kane Parsons' The Backrooms is not your ordinary thriller. It is a haunting exploration of trauma, identity, and the fears we desperately try to bury. Through striking visuals, oppressive atmosphere, and a career-highlight performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor, the film transforms a popular internet myth into something emotionally resonant and genuinely unsettling.

Equal parts psychological horror and character study, The Backrooms succeeds because it understands that the scariest places are often the ones we carry inside ourselves.

Verdict

The Backrooms is a suspenseful, thought-provoking psychological thriller that trades cheap scares for emotional depth and lingering dread. Kane Parsons delivers a uniquely unsettling vision, while Chiwetel Ejiofor anchors the film with a powerful performance that elevates the material beyond genre expectations.

Fans of cerebral horror and psychological mysteries will find plenty to unpack within its endless corridors, even if some of those corridors never fully reveal where they're leading.

Backrooms is in theaters NOW!