The legendary internet creepypasta ‘The Backrooms,’ which once plunged the web into terror, is finally hitting the big screen! The movie ‘The Backrooms’ is an immersive space thriller following the inexplicable events experienced by Clark and Mary in a bizarre space filled with yellow walls and endless fluorescent lights.
Exciting news for movie fans! The film is set for its world premiere in South Korea on Wednesday, May 27, releasing earlier than in any other country, including North America. This is being hailed as a monumental case where an IP born on digital platforms evolved into theatrical content through the capital of a major studio.
A 2005-born Genius Shaking Up Hollywood: The Birth of A24’s Youngest Director
At the center of ‘The Backrooms’ is the rising genius director Kane Parsons. Born in 2005, he is a ‘digital native’ who didn’t go through formal film education. Starting his video work on his own channel in 2015, he taught himself After Effects and Blender 3D to develop his own unique visual sense.
Recognizing this talent, the prestigious studio A24 signed a feature film directing contract with him despite him being a teenager. With this, Kane Parsons became the youngest director in A24’s history. Proving that the paradigm of video production is shifting from personal platforms like YouTube to major studios, he is now in his 20s and presenting his first feature debut to Korean audiences first.
Overwhelming Sense of Space and Unknown Terror: Extreme Tension in the Trailer
The main trailer and poster released alongside the premiere news perfectly capture the overwhelming tension of the film. The trailer sensually shows the process of an anomaly starting in an ordinary furniture store and leading to an unidentified space. With Clark’s line, “I found something in the store,” the endless yellow hallways and repeating structures make viewers feel a sense of claustrophobia, as if trapped in an inescapable maze.
In particular, the rough screen texture characteristic of old video cameras and the unstable flickering of fluorescent lights provide a powerful sense of immersion, making the audience feel as if they are exploring the Backrooms with the characters.
The main poster also maximizes the intimidation of an unrealistic space where physical laws do not apply, featuring Mary looking anxious against a yellow wall and Clark looking up in shock. The phrase ‘World Premiere May 27’ on the poster sparks curiosity among audiences who will be the first to face this bizarre world in Korea.
The Struggle of Powerhouse Actors and the Peak of Immersive Thrillers
The immersion of the film is completed by the passionate performances of lead actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor plays ‘Clark,’ a furniture store owner, desperately portraying the psychology of a human losing their mind in an unknown space encountered after passing through the walls of reality. His gaze in the stills, searching for an exit while feeling the walls, makes the primal intimidation of the space itself feel vivid.
Facing him, Cannes Film Festival Best Actress winner Renate Reinsve plays the cool-headed physician ‘Mary.’ She struggles to maintain her reason in the face of inexplicable phenomena, but her delicate emotional lines as she wavers before the massive darkness and mysterious shadows pull the audience into extreme tension.
Finally, this film leaves a deep impression by interpreting the fundamental loneliness and anxiety felt by modern people through the unique visual concept of ‘Liminal Space.’ Moving away from the grammar of traditional horror movies that rely on jump scares, it stimulates the audience’s imagination by setting the empty hallways and infinitely repeating yellow wallpaper itself as the object of fear. Director Kane Parsons stated, “I wanted to capture the primal fear humans feel when the most familiar place becomes the most unfamiliar,” and plans to lead audiences deep into the bizarre maze through three-dimensional sound and visual effects that can only be experienced in a theater.
With top Hollywood production teams like Atomic Monster and 21 Laps Entertainment participating, and ByFourM Studio and Revive Contents handling the import and distribution in Korea, ‘The Backrooms’ promises to be an ‘immersive thriller’ beyond simple movie viewing. Expectations are high for how Director Kane Parsons’ sensory direction, which twists familiar spaces into strange horror, will impact Korean theaters. ‘The Backrooms’ will invite audiences to experience overwhelming horror only available on the big screen on May 27.
