Modern horror is experiencing a global crisis of the genre, where classic techniques such as “screamers” or excessive gore (splatter) are gradually losing their ability to surprise the viewer. A new generation of filmmakers is looking for inspiration not in classic horror literature, but in the depths of Internet folklore, digital myths and creepypastas. The brightest and most anticipated precedent of this trend was the feature film “The Backrooms” from the A24 studio, shot by 20-year-old director-prodigy Kane Parsons with the participation of a star cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinswe. The film, which is being released worldwide, has become the object of close attention from leading critics.
As the influential international publication The Wall Street Journal notes in its review “‘Backrooms’ Review: Entering an Eerie Expanse” , the film takes a bold and uncompromising step forward, transforming a famous Internet meme into a monumental psychological tragedy. Channel 34 writes about this, offering a detailed analytical review of how the extradimensional labyrinth of office corridors rethinks the canons of modern cinema.
The Liminal Space Phenomenon: From YouTube Shorts to Big Budget
The film is based on the concept of “liminality” – a transitional, empty space that usually serves only as a transit between locations (corridors, empty offices, waiting rooms), but in the conditions of “The Backrooms” it becomes an endless trap. Kane Parsons’ story is unique in Hollywood: as a teenager, he created a viral series of short films on YouTube that have collected hundreds of millions of views. A24 studio, known for its impeccable taste in intellectual horror (such as “Solstice” or “Hereditary”), entrusted the young author with a large budget, while preserving his unique vision.
Our own analysis of the film’s cinematic structure allows us to highlight the following revolutionary aspects:
The aesthetics of yellow wallpaper and fluorescent noise: The film masterfully uses visual monotony. Endless mazes with cheap yellow wallpaper, damp carpets, and the monotonous, maddening hum of fluorescent lights create a pressure stronger than any monsters. It is a horror of no way out, where space itself is the main antagonist.
The Horror of Mental Disintegration: Unlike the original, which focused solely on survival among monsters, A24’s version shifts the focus to the tragedy of the human psyche. Ejiofor and Reinswe’s characters find themselves trapped in a trap that gradually erases their memories, identities, and sense of time, transforming an existential crisis into a deeply personal drama.
Kane Parsons’ directorial maturity and the curation of genre masters
There has long been debate in the film industry about whether the 20-year-old director could handle a large-scale studio production on his own. However, the involvement of producers such as James Wan (“The Conjuring,” “Saw”) and Oz Perkins (“Long Leg”), as well as experienced cinematographer Jeremy Cox, created a powerful security framework around the young director. Colleagues on the set, including actor Mark Duplass, openly defended Parsons, emphasizing his phenomenal training, deep understanding of mythology, and ability to work subtly with dramatic actors.
Parsons didn’t just copy his YouTube videos—he adapted them for the widescreen cinematic format. His “Behind the Scenes” feels like an icy, disorienting thriller that completely rewrites the rules of the found footage game, elevating the subgenre to the level of high cinematography.
Verdict: Why “Backstage” is changing the landscape of pop culture
The Wall Street Journal review makes it clear that “Backstage” is not just another teen-friendly attraction, but a mature statement about loneliness, isolation, and the fragility of the human mind in an era of post-irony and digital alienation. The film makes the viewer feel uncomfortable not because someone will jump out of the darkness, but because of the awareness of the vastness of an indifferent, mechanistic universe from which it is impossible to “fall” back into reality.
For the film industry, the success of this project is a significant marker: it proves that talented Internet creators are able to dictate trends to big Hollywood, bringing fresh blood and radically new visual solutions to stagnant genre frameworks.