It started as a creepypasta, then became a hit web series, and now it’s a feature film. What is it about Backrooms that inspires obsession-level interest from viewers? It’s difficult to put into words; it’s more like a feeling—the sickening dread and undeniable fascination that come with discovering an endless stretch of seemingly abandoned rooms and hallways where rooms and hallways have no business being.
Unlike the enigmatic first teaser, this new trailer actually shows us the stars of Backrooms (the cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell) as they confront this very strange and unnerving place.
Backrooms is adapted from the creepypasta-inspired web series of the same name by 20-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons, who goes by “Kane Pixels” online and makes his feature directing debut with the A24-produced feature.
Will Soodik wrote the script, and the official synopsis tells you all you need to know, really: “A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.”
As we can see from the trailer, Ejiofor’s character finds a bizarre realm beneath “Cap’n Clark’s Ottoman Empire” and can’t stop exploring its maze of yellow-hued rooms, despite the nagging sensation that he should probably be avoiding them at all costs.
Who built the rooms, and for what purpose? We don’t care if Backrooms ever explains that. In fact, we hope it doesn’t—it looks like the mystery itself contains plenty of frights.
Backrooms opens May 29.
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