March 24 🏆 1st Watch | <a href="https://letterboxd.com/wistfulg/list/top-100/" rel="nofollow">Top 100</a> | <a href="https://letterboxd.com/wistfulg/list/year-in-review-1999/" rel="nofollow">1999 Ranked</a> | <a href="https://letterboxd.com/wistfulg/list/paul-thomas-anderson-ranked/" rel="nofollow">Paul Thomas Anderson Ranked</a> HERE ⬅️ Previous Review: <a href="

Mar 26

may 28 👍 1st Watch |  The Backrooms has existed for years now as a staple of internet horror, and even though this movie mark’s my introduction to this mythology, it’s great to see young filmmakers being able to bring their passion projects to the big screen.  Backrooms takes a special place in the horror genre; it’s not first film to revolve around an uncanny place, but it is unique in how it presents this place. The “backrooms” is a seemingly endless series of massive office-style rooms housed with artifacts from the real world. It’s almost as if the backrooms were designed as a zoo enclosure for humans; they have recognizable parts, but they’re assembled arbitrarily. In the film, they’re described as the result of someone drawing a dog from memory after having only caught a short glimpse of one. These (back)rooms are massive, which makes it so weird how claustrophobic the movie is. It’s the only film besides The Shining that has managed to elicit such a response. However, unlike The Shining (where the entrapment felt largely psychological), the claustrophobia in Backrooms felt both psychological and physical.  You definitely have to give props to the production and sound design. The minimalist approach depicts the backrooms as a manifestation of humanity’s fading memories, which fits the story’s themes about trauma and loneliness. I also love the parallels between Clark’s oblique office and the backrooms. The production design doesn’t just define the film’s atmosphere. It also fleshes out the characters.  The third act is where the film starts to lose its footing, especially with the chase sequence. Backrooms is definitely a case of a unique story resorting to cliches to find some sort of resolution. Furthermore, I think the film could’ve used Async more actively. I like the mystery surrounding the company and their involvement with the backrooms. I actually wish the ending was even more cryptic. However, throughout the film, you sometimes see Async’s imprint on the backrooms through their cameras. I acknowledge the appeal of the Backrooms is supposed to be the lack of understanding surrounding its existence, but I wished the movie explored more of Async’s involvement. I do suppose it could serve as good material for a possible sequel if Kane Parsons wants to do more.

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