A24's 'backrooms' haunts with ejiofor, parsons' debut

A24 is plunging viewers into a psychological nightmare this summer with Backrooms, a feature film adaptation of Kane Parsons’ viral short, and starring the formidable Chiwetel Ejiofor. The trailer, recently released, hints at a disorienting descent into an endless labyrinth, promising a chilling cinematic experience.

Parsons expands on viral sensation

The film builds upon Parsons' 2022 short of the same name, which initially gained traction online for its unsettling atmosphere and ambiguous premise. Backrooms follows Clark (Ejiofor), a man in therapy who discovers a hidden door in the basement of a furniture exhibition. Stepping through, he finds himself trapped within an unnervingly familiar, yet infinitely expanding, space – the titular Backrooms.

What began as a solitary exploration quickly escalates when Clark invites friends to document his findings, equipped with a camera. His sudden disappearance triggers a desperate search by his therapist, who soon realizes that Clark’s increasingly bizarre claims may hold a terrifying truth. The film's premise plays on the dread of liminal spaces, those transitional zones – hallways, empty parking lots – that evoke a sense of unease and isolation.

The supporting cast includes a compelling roster of talent: Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, Avan Jogia, and Chelah Horsdal. Parsons’ directorial debut is already generating considerable buzz, particularly given A24’s track record for cultivating unique and unsettling genre films. The studio’s previous successes, like Hereditary and The Witch, suggest Backrooms could tap into a similar vein of psychological horror, prioritizing atmosphere and dread over jump scares.

The film’s visual aesthetic, as showcased in the trailer, further emphasizes its unsettling nature. The washed-out color palette, repetitive architecture, and uncanny silence contribute to a palpable sense of disorientation and creeping dread. This is not a film about monsters; it’s about the slow unraveling of sanity within a space that defies logic and reason.

Backrooms is slated for release in Spain on June 5, 2026. Whether Parsons can successfully translate the viral short’s unsettling atmosphere into a full-length feature remains to be seen, but early indications suggest A24 has another genre triumph on its hands.