Backrooms - Review

We All Have Our Loops.

Review written by Jack Aling

Backrooms is directed by Kane Parsons and written by Will Soodik.

A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom, leading to an expansive liminal space that defies logic and reality.

The recent rise of young directors and storytellers jumping from the internet or their small corner of the world and having the medium to put their original ideas in cinemas worldwide feels like a glimmer of hope that the movie industry is going to be okay.

Kane Parsons' Backrooms takes some big swings, bringing abstract storytelling and liminal spaces to general audiences. There is an obvious talent crafting this vast and interwoven world and lore, but the film really shines when the characters explore the endless backrooms, discovering what hides behind the corner, rather than attempting to understand it.

There are some brilliantly eerie sequences giving a sense of claustrophobia to an immeasurable space. However, the third act gets weighed down in trying to explain the unexplainable while concealing the mystery at the centre, which leaves the whole experience feeling lacking.

Backrooms is a confident and promising debut that will no doubt expand over time, but most importantly, will prove to studios that audiences want to see new stories from new, fresh voices.

Our verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Backrooms arrives in UK cinemas 29 May 2026.

Read more of Jack's reviews at: letterboxd.com/TheJackAling