00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're breaking down all you need to know about Kane Parson's
00:11big screen creepypasta adaptation, Backrooms. We'll be diving into the story's origins,
00:16how it made it to the big screen, what the Backrooms really are,
00:19and what its success means for the future of the horror genre.
00:22We are including spoilers for the film, so proceed with caution.
00:29What is the Backrooms? The evolution of the internet and the horror genre has given rise
00:34to a new kind of modern folklore, commonly known as a creepypasta. But diving deep into every thread
00:40online, it's clear there's one that captured the zeitgeist more than anything else, the Backrooms.
00:46Hello? Hello? Hey guys.
00:57What is this?
00:59In 2019, an anonymous user on 4chan posted an innocent photo. It depicted a large empty room
01:05with yellowed wallpaper, beige carpets, and fluorescent overhead lights. It looked like
01:10it may have been some kind of office or storage area once upon a time. But despite its innocuous
01:15contents, something about the room felt off.
01:18Hello? Is someone there?
01:22It was one of the earliest mainstream depictions of a liminal space, a transitory location like
01:27a hallway or road. They're spots you expect to see hustle and bustle. So when they appear empty,
01:33something in the brain misfires. The familiar becomes uncanny. The safe becomes wrong.
01:39Can anybody hear me?
01:41The poster claimed that if you weren't careful, you could clip out of reality and end up in the
01:46backrooms, a near endless expanse of empty rooms. There was no way out. And worst of all,
01:52you weren't alone. It started with that one post, but it didn't end there. Over the course of several
01:58years, the bizarre internet picture turned into a widespread creepypasta, and eventually,
02:03a record-breaking summer blockbuster. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.
02:13As a full-blown internet phenomenon, it makes sense that the backrooms first found its feet on
02:19YouTube. In addition to the countless threads, discussions, and theories about the photo's
02:23origins, a young YouTuber named Kane Parsons decided to make his own interpretation. And starting in 2022,
02:30indie videos based on the creepypasta began popping up.
02:40Just like that, the lore exploded. The mythology around the fabled liminal space became a
02:46collaboration, with hundreds, if not thousands, of people all over the globe contributing to the
02:51story of the backrooms.
02:52This isn't real. This isn't real.
02:55It pointed viewers to Parsons' videos, which led them back to discussion boards, which then led
03:01them back to the videos. The backrooms wasn't just a passing fad. It was a community, and one Parsons
03:07had positioned himself at the top of.
03:13You've got to be kidding me.
03:14From 4chan to feature film. Eventually, it wasn't just backrooms fans who took notice.
03:20Hollywood did too. As early as 2023, Parsons was being approached by major distributors to turn his
03:27passion project into a full-length movie. Fast forward a few years, and the then-20-year-old
03:32Parsons became the youngest director to have his film top the domestic box office.
03:37Hello?
03:43Anyone there?
03:44The question on everyone's minds, how did he do it? There's no denying the internet's obsession with
03:50the backrooms. Even after the image's origins were traced to an old furniture store, the collaborative
03:56nature of the lore kept fans engaged and passionate for years on end. Parsons, in particular, had a
04:02finger on the pulse of what fans wanted from a backrooms film. After all, he basically spearheaded
04:07the thing in the first place.
04:08Look, I know how this sounds, but you've got to understand, there's massive in there.
04:11But it was more than slapping a YouTuber's name on a film and coasting on brand recognition.
04:16As a fan himself, and an up-and-coming filmmaker, Parsons took a big swing with his directorial
04:21debut. He had to answer the question on everyone's minds. What is the backrooms?
04:26I just wanted to have answers to every question that could be asked, but maybe not be so rigid
04:32in enforcing certain things from the more internal conscious side.
04:37What is the backrooms really? It's a simple question with a not-so-simple answer. The film
04:43expertly toes the line between showing its hand and leaving things up to interpretation.
04:47Clark, what is this? That's what I'm trying to figure out. From what we can gather, though,
04:51the backrooms is a sort of negative space parallel to our world. It mirrors parts of reality it's
04:57close to, including the memories and mental state of those who dare enter its walls.
05:01We see this clearly with Clark, whose obsession with the furniture store and refusal to take
05:06responsibility morphs the backrooms into a labyrinth of self-hatred.
05:10You still haven't told us what we're doing here, man. I did tell you. Research.
05:14Research. Mary dives headfirst into Clark's reality, but as we see in the film's chilling
05:19final frame, she isn't immune to its effects either. It's not quite as overt, but you can
05:24see the backrooms slowly surround her with subtle memories of her own trauma.
05:29I don't understand. What is this?
05:32At least as much as she can remember. Just like actual memory, the backrooms isn't entirely
05:37reliable, explaining why things never look quite right. In layman's terms, Mary and Clark
05:43aren't reconciling with reality. They're facing their own warped perceptions of the world and
05:48their memories. Of course, that is just scratching the surface of everything the
05:52backrooms represents. As Mary learns, there is an entire community of scientists working day and
05:58night to uncover its mysteries. They don't have much to show for it yet, and Mary doesn't seem
06:03too keen on helping them out either.
06:05The characters carry the emotional load of this movie, and you see this world through them.
06:10What we know for certain is that for her and Clark, it's already too late. Even though
06:15Mary escaped the monster Clark conjured, she still finds herself trapped as a memory in
06:19the backrooms. Now, nothing more than a bad photocopied version of herself. It is a bold
06:25and striking ending that leaves just enough breadcrumbs for audiences to piece together its meaning.
06:30It's essential to have that other side of the equation where she's, you know, sort of gets to see
06:38the result of like, you know, for all the work she does with individuals, the sort of cumulative effect
06:44of these systematic features of society, which are maybe wearing people down in ways that she wasn't
06:50even aware of.
06:50Although we may not have to wait too long for answers, considering The Back Rooms became A24's
06:55most successful film ever. And after just one weekend, no less. What comes next?
07:01In a cinematic landscape dominated by superheroes, franchises, and nostalgia bait, the groundbreaking
07:07success of The Back Rooms set a new standard for Hollywood. It proved audiences would show up for
07:13original content, especially when presented by fresh talent with big ideas.
07:17Because these conversations about a potential film adaptation started fairly early on,
07:21I've always kind of offloaded that part of my thinking and planning to whatever this A24 venture becomes.
07:27The takeaway isn't necessarily to adapt more creepypastas or give YouTubers blank checks for their own films,
07:33but rather that it's okay to trust new talent. Because more often than not, they are the biggest fan
07:38of their own work. That was certainly the case with Parsons.
07:42It's, yeah, my favorite project in my life. And for me, making stuff is a pretty
07:46deliberate personal, like, affair. Hollywood always follows money, so a return to The Back Rooms
07:52feels more like a matter of when, not if. Parsons himself seems to be on board, with him going on
07:58the record confirming he has ideas on where to take the lore next. If his directorial debut is any
08:03indication, it'll be another terrifying thrill ride to remember. But if the question is, is this
08:09something that I want to be as a part of as possible for the entirety of its existence,
08:14the answer is definitely yes. What do you think The Back Rooms are?
08:17Let us know your craziest theory in the comments.
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