Blending psychological thriller elements with sci-fi horror, Backrooms, releasing this Friday, has already generated major excitement among fans of the genre.
This psychological sci-fi horror film marks Kane Parsons’ feature-length directorial debut. The story follows therapist Dr. Mary Kline and her patient, Clark, after he mysteriously disappears into a dimension beyond reality, forcing her to venture into the unknown to save him.
The “Backrooms” concept originated in 2019 after an anonymous image of a generic, empty office-like space was posted online, capturing a setting that felt strangely familiar yet completely desolate and unsettling.
The current buzz began on January 7, 2022, when Kane Parsons uploaded the anthology-style Backrooms video series to the YouTube channel Kane Pixels. The project later caught the attention of A24, Chernin Entertainment, and Atomic Monster, which officially moved forward with a film adaptation in February 2023.
In May 2025, Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor and Golden Globe nominee Cristin Milioti joined the cast.
Alongside Mark Duplass, the film also stars Finn Bennett as Bobby, Kat’s boyfriend; Lukita Maxwell as Kat, Clark’s employee and Bobby’s girlfriend; Avan Jogia; Robert Bobroczkyi; and Krista Kosonen as Mary’s mother.
It’s fascinating to see how Parsons, originally known as a YouTuber, brings to life a fictional extradimensional space filled with people who have no idea what awaits them in his directorial debut.
Will Soodik crafted the screenplay, with the film powered by horror maestro James Wan (Atomic Monster) and producer Shawn Levy (21 Laps Entertainment).
Backrooms is scheduled to release in the United States on May 29, 2026.
