Backrooms

The set design of this film is incredible and honestly one of my biggest favorites in the last few years. Absolutely incredible. Considering this all started from some uncanny pictures, Kane Parsons did a phenomenal job. The first two acts capture the mystique and uneasy feelings of ‘liminal spaces’ in a way I don’t think most people thought accomplishable. There were moments where I sat as forward in my chair as possible, moments where I was tense, it was fantastic. If it’s true that he did the soundtrack too, wow, he absolutely nailed it. I don’t know how, but apparently filming identical walls of wallpaper makes cinematography look really good?! The cinematography was fantastic, and when not drowned out by the mildewy yellow wallpaper, the outside world invites the brightness of nature (and strip mall parking lot) colors to explode, it was great.  Renate Reinsve is incredible, her acting has really grown on me the more and more I watch her. I also think the film did a really good job subverting the expectation when Clark was suddenly the villain and then suddenly a victim! I enjoyed it! It’s more of a thriller than I thought it would be, but I feel like the Async stuff at the end seems a little too Stranger Things 3/5ish and I hope Parsons doesn’t fall into that trap.  The ‘Everything Must Go’ special creates a bridge between this and the YouTube series… I guess? Which is cool since it somewhat reaffirms the idea of backrooms connected in multiple places? I need to watch the YouTube series now I guess.  Actual Rating: 4.00 / 5.00