Julian Alvarez

I regret every expectation I had for this film. The whole concept of the backrooms can’t really be adapted into a narrative, and it really shouldn’t have been. There are so many different storylines going on that are executed really really badly. And the people who are saying it’s good because it “expands our knowledge on the backrooms” are just wrong. We don’t need more explanation on the backrooms, there’s thousands of videos on YouTube that explain the lore. There’s absolutely no need to tie a half baked narrative to the concept of the backrooms which is already enough on its own. The writing and pacing are really bad and the film really drags on far longer than it should’ve. This film really just felt like a poorly written YouTube short film but instead it’s an entire feature length film. A lot of the shots outside the backrooms felt extremely bland and made those scenes feel so much slower than it was. And the shots of the backrooms just felt so repetitive it made me so bored, it’s just… a guy… goes into a room… and then… there’s another room… but wait… now there’s a… there’s a chair… in a weird position! And it does that over and over and over and over. And the sound design really just felt like such a nothing burger, they sprinkled in a couple of sound effects and added some “strange” music and called it a day. The acting felt absurdly cheap and just not good, which is not a surprise based on the bad writing. Also the addition of the most boring character you will ever watch on a screen, one of the characters literally explains the whole message of the movie but I don’t blame any one of the fans for still not understanding the message because every single word that came out of that characters mouth was genuinely the most bland and boring dialogue I think I’ve ever heard. I’ve heard people talk about porn with more passion than this character exudes. Not to mention the absolutely atrocious cinema experience with the most inconsiderate group of people to have ever been assembled. Two old people with their brightness all the way up, their ringtones on and extremely loud, and talking throughout the first 30 mins of the film just to leave halfway through. One random kid who decided to scream “yes!” when the first jumpscare had appeared, wow Connor your so cool and edgy for getting excited about the super spooky scene, you really got all the girls in the crowd super turned on! And the one guy who decided to yell out “preach” when the main character said something extremely rude, like dude absolutely no one needed your commentary nor appreciated it. I really just can’t get behind this movie, maybe I’ll rewatch it someday and find it to be better but as of right now I just can’t.

Right off the bat this movie is absolutely amazing. The scenes that scare you aren’t big jump scares but the incredible sound design, editing, and effects. And the fact that they are able to perfect those aspects with such a small budget just goes to show that the crew behind this film is incredibly talented. The concept of the film is very original and interesting and the way it’s executed is even better. The shots and style give it this really grounded and immersive look to every single frame which a lot of films nowadays struggle with heavily. Curry Barker is extremely talented and this is an absolutely incredible debut film. Can’t wait to see what he does in future projects like Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Bro has 1000% fluffy hair

“*I’m in the middle of a mystery. And it’s all secret.”* This quote perfectly captures what it feels like to watch Blue Velvet. The audience understands exactly how disoriented and confused Jeffrey is and the way that the film’s dreamlike surrealism reflects that is incredible.