Backrooms Explained

Backrooms-Explained

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down all you need to know about Kane Parsons’ big screen creepypasta adaptation! We’ll be diving into the story’s origins, how it made it to the big screen, what The Backrooms really are, and what it’s success means for the future of the horror genre. We are including spoilers from the film, so proceed with caution.

What is The Backrooms?

The evolution of the internet and the horror genre has given rise to a new kind of modern folklore, commonly known as a creepypasta. But, diving deep into every thread online, it’s clear there’s one that captured the zeitgeist more than anything else: The Backrooms.

In 2019, an anonymous user on 4chan posted an innocent photo. It depicted a large, empty room with yellowed wallpaper, beige carpets, and fluorescent overhead lights. It looked like it may have been some kind of office or storage area once upon a time. But, despite its innocuous contents, something about the room felt off. It was one of the earliest mainstream depictions of a liminal space; a transitory location like a hallway or road. They’re spots you expect to see hustle and bustle. So, when they appear empty, something in the brain misfires. The familiar becomes uncanny. The safe becomes wrong.

The poster claimed that, if you weren’t careful, you could clip out of reality and end up in The Backrooms, a near-endless expanse of empty rooms. There was no way out, and worst of all, you weren’t alone.

It started with that one post, but it didn’t end there. Over the course of several years, the bizarre internet picture turned into a widespread creepypasta, and eventually, a record-breaking summer blockbuster. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. As a full-blown internet phenomenon, it makes sense that The Backrooms first found its feet on YouTube. In addition to the countless threads, discussions, and theories about the photo’s origins, a young YouTuber named Kane Parsons decided to make his own interpretation, and starting in 2022, indie videos based on the creepypasta began popping up.

Just like that, the lore exploded. The mythology around the fabled liminal space became a collaboration, with hundreds, if not thousands of people over the globe contributing to the story of The Backrooms. It pointed viewers to Parsons videos, which led them back to discussion boards, which then led them back to the videos. The Backrooms wasn’t just a passing fad. It was a community, and one Parsons had positioned himself at the top of.

From 4Chan to Feature Film

Eventually, it wasn’t just Backrooms fans who took notice. Hollywood did, too.

As early as 2023, Parsons was being approached by major distributors to turn his passion project into a full-length movie. Fast-forward a few years, and the then 20-year-old Parsons became the youngest director to have his film top the domestic box office.

The question on everyone’s minds - how did he do it?

There’s no denying the internet’s obsession with The Backrooms. Even after the image’s origins were traced to an old furniture store, the collaborative nature of the lore kept fans engaged and passionate for years on end. Parsons in particular had a finger on the pulse of what fans wanted from a Backrooms film. After all, he basically spearheaded the thing in the first place!

But, it was more than slapping a YouTuber’s name on a film and coasting on brand recognition. As a fan himself, and an up-and-coming filmmaker, Parsons took a big swing with his directorial debut. He had to answer the question on everyone’s minds; what is the Backrooms?

What is The Backrooms, Really?

It’s a simple question, with a not-so-simple answer. The film expertly toes the line between showing its hand, and leaving things up to interpretation. From what we can gather, though, The Backrooms is a sort of negative space parallel to our world. It mirrors parts of reality it’s close to, including the memories and mental state of those who dare enter its walls. We see this clearly with Clark, whose obsession with the furniture store and refusal to take responsibility morphs The Backrooms into a labyrinth of self-hatred.

Mary dives headfirst into Clark’s reality, but as we see in the film’s chilling final frame, she isn’t immune to its effects, either. It’s not quite as overt, but you can see The Backrooms slowly surround her with subtle memories of her own trauma. At least, as much as she can remember. Just like actual memory, The Backrooms isn’t entirely reliable, explaining why things never look quite right. In layman’s terms, Mary and Clark aren’t reconciling with reality. They’re facing their own warped perceptions of the world and their memories.

Of course, that’s just scratching the surface of everything The Backrooms represents. As Mary learns, there’s an entire community of scientists working day and night to uncover its mysteries. They don’t have much to show for it yet, and Mary doesn’t seem too keen on helping them out, either.

What we know for certain is that, for her and for Clark, it’s already too late.

Even though Mary escaped the monster Clark conjured, she still finds herself trapped as a memory in The Backrooms, now nothing more than a bad photo-copied version of herself.

It’s a bold and striking ending that leaves just enough breadcrumbs for audiences to piece together its meaning. Although, we may not have to wait too long for answers, considering The Backrooms became A24’s most successful film, ever. And after just one weekend, no less!

What Comes Next?

In a cinematic landscape dominated by superheroes, franchises, and nostalgia bait, the groundbreaking success of “The Backrooms” set a new standard for Hollywood. It proved audiences would show up for original content, especially when presented by fresh talent with big ideas.

The takeaway isn’t necessarily to adapt more creepypasta’s, or give YouTuber’s blank checks for their own films. But, rather, that it’s okay to trust new talent. Because, more often than not, they’re the biggest fan of their own work. That was certainly the case with Parsons!

Hollywood always follows money, so a return to The Backrooms feels more like a matter of when, not if. Parsons himself seems to be onboard, with him going on the record confirming he has ideas on where to take the lore next. If his directorial debut is any indication, it will be another terrifying thrill-ride to remember.

What do you think The Backrooms are? Let us know your craziest theory in the comments below!