How does a young teenager become the director of a highly anticipated horror film? The answer lies in the digital age. Today, the internet offers opportunities for young creators to showcase their talents. This is how Kane Parsons, at just 20 years old, landed the role of director for A24’s film Backrooms, which is inspired by an eerie internet phenomenon.
So, what are the Backrooms? It all started in 2019 on 4chan, where someone posted a haunting image of endless corridors with yellowed carpets. The accompanying text painted a chilling picture of getting lost in a space that feels both familiar and nightmarish. The Backrooms became a symbol for that unsettling feeling of drifting into a limbo that many have experienced but few could express. The discussion surrounding the Backrooms has grown, with numerous posts on Reddit and a dedicated subreddit, r/LiminalSpace, exploring similar eerie environments.
Parsons found this concept fascinating. He realized that many people shared a strange and unexplainable emotion tied to the Backrooms. He told USA Today, “It was compelling that so many felt there was something they couldn’t quite articulate.” His own short film on YouTube, The Backrooms (Found Footage), which he made at age 16, drew almost 80 million views. This short ignited interest in a larger film project.
The Backrooms phenomenon mirrors the rise of Slender Man, another internet-originated horror entity. While Slender Man resulted in significant controversy, it also paved the way for new narratives in horror storytelling. The Backrooms, however, have drawn a more positive response. A24 saw potential in Parsons’s vision and signed him to direct a feature film.
In Backrooms, the story unfolds in the 1990s. It follows Clark, played by Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who discovers a mysterious seam in his furniture store. This crack leads him to the otherworldly space of the Backrooms. Clark’s journey is about searching for meaning in his life, which many viewers may find relatable.
Critics have noted that while Parsons’s portrayal of marital troubles might feel conventional, he captures the essence of anxiety and the horror of feeling trapped. For the movie, Parsons reportedly oversaw a set that spanned about 30,000 square feet, an expanse so large that actors sometimes got lost during filming.
As audiences watch Backrooms, they’re not just witnessing a fictional tale but also reflecting on the complexity of anxiety and isolation—experiences many feel in today’s digital world. The movie pulls you into a place that feels increasingly relevant in our own lives, where realities blur and uncertainties abound.
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