By Tiana Rosiak – Entertainment Editor

The movie “Backrooms” released in theaters on May 29. The concept of the movie had existed well before its theatrical release date, however. The horror film’s title setting, the Backrooms, has origins in a 4chan post from 2019, and the flick is an adaptation of Kane Parsons’, the director of the movie, found footage YouTube series of the same name.

The story focuses on Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a divorced, lonely owner of the not popular furniture store, “Clark’s Ottoman Empire.” After finding what appears to be a strange room in the basement of his store, he enlists the help of his employees, Kat (Lukita Maxwell) and Bobby (Finn Bennett) to explore the expansive area. Worried about his sudden disappearance, Clark’s therapist, Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve), ventures into the unknown space to find him.

The film does exceptionally well in its ambience. The oftentimes strange sounds found throughout the movie do a great job of creating an uneasy atmosphere. The distant noises do a great job of conveying the eerie emotion meant to be felt. The score also adds to the experience, creating an unsettling atmosphere in tense and scary moments. The sets in the movie are also noteworthy. There was a clear, stark difference between the normal world and the “backrooms.” While the normal world had depth in it’s lighting and numerous varieties of colors, the actual “backrooms” set had office building-esque lighting and a set color scheme that differed from what was previously seen. The differences in what’s real and what doesn’t feel real are clear and add to it’s uncanny appearance.

At times, the movie is disturbed by it’s pacing. In specific portions of the film, it feels too slow. Scenes feel dragged out and longer than they need to be. Other times, it feels too fast. Sequences speed by when they need time to breathe, and there’s virtually no time left to give the audience room to take in what they just saw. Though ambiguity towards ideas and character backstories can be good, it’s, at times, a flaw. Certain aspects of the film have little to no explanation behind them, and specific characters, such as Mark Duplass’ mysterious character Phil, could’ve benefitted from more explanation on who they really are. Although it’s a good set-up for a potential sequel, without knowing anything beyond the movie itself, it makes the viewer believe they’re missing a part of the story.

“Backrooms” aimed at doing something that isn’t always easy: make a good adaptation of something already beloved. In the end, they managed to hit that goal and exceed in making an exceptional horror film.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars