The internet’s creepiest maze is finally heading to the big screen.
After years of strange videos, endless fan theories, and millions of YouTube views, The Backrooms is becoming a full movie. And honestly? That feels a little surreal.
The new horror sci-fi film hits theaters on May 29, and it already has horror fans paying close attention.
From YouTube Nightmare to A24 Movie
If you spent any time online over the last few years, there’s a good chance you stumbled across The Backrooms.
Maybe it was one of those shaky found-footage clips. Maybe it was a grainy hallway video that made you weirdly uncomfortable for no reason at all.
That unsettling feeling is exactly what made the series explode online.
Creator Kane Parsons first uploaded The Backrooms videos to YouTube in 2022. At the time, he was still a teenager. Now, at just 19 years old, he’s directing a full A24 feature film. That’s a massive jump in a short amount of time.
And this isn’t some tiny streaming release either.
A24 teamed up with major producers including James Wan, Shawn Levy, and Osgood Perkins to bring the creepy internet myth to theaters nationwide. Production officially began in Vancouver during summer 2025.
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Read more →What Is The Backrooms?
For anyone unfamiliar, The Backrooms started as an online creepypasta.
The idea is simple, which somehow makes it scarier.
Imagine accidentally slipping out of reality and ending up trapped inside endless yellow hallways. The rooms stretch forever. The lights buzz constantly. Nothing feels right.
And worst of all?
You’re probably not alone.
The movie follows a therapist searching for her missing patient after he disappears into this strange alternate dimension. As she moves deeper into the maze-like world, things become increasingly disturbing.
It blends psychological horror with science fiction in a way that feels different from most studio horror films right now.
The Cast Includes Some Serious Talent
One thing that stands out immediately is the cast.
Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Clark, a struggling furniture store owner dealing with personal issues before becoming connected to the terrifying mystery. Renate Reinsve plays therapist Dr. Mary Kline.
The supporting cast also includes:
- Mark Duplass
- Finn Bennett
- Lukita Maxwell
- Avan Jogia
That’s a surprisingly strong lineup for a movie based on a viral internet horror concept.
The Sets Are Real — And Huge
This might be the most impressive part of the production.
Instead of relying heavily on CGI, the filmmakers built over 30,000 square feet of physical Backrooms sets.
Yes, actual hallways.
Actual rooms.
Actual endless-looking spaces.
Some crew members reportedly even got lost inside the giant maze during filming. Honestly, that feels incredibly on-brand for this movie.
That practical approach could make a huge difference. Horror tends to feel more intense when actors are physically inside the environment instead of reacting to green screens.
And considering the original YouTube videos became famous because they felt oddly realistic, keeping that grounded feeling makes sense.
Can The Movie Live Up to the Hype?
That’s the big question.
Internet horror doesn’t always translate well into full-length movies. Sometimes the mystery works better in short clips than in a two-hour story.
But early reactions suggest this one may actually pull it off. Some horror outlets are already building strong buzz around the film before release.
The timing also helps.
Horror fans are always looking for something that feels fresh, and The Backrooms already comes with years of online curiosity behind it. Younger audiences know the mythology. Older moviegoers may simply be intrigued by the bizarre concept.
Either way, people are definitely curious.
And if the movie captures even half the strange dread of the original videos, theater audiences could be in for a genuinely unsettling experience.
