Overview
- The film, which opened Friday, May 29, 2026, was directed by Kane Parsons and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve in a feature adaptation of Parsons’ viral YouTube series.
- Critics repeatedly praised the movie’s production design, sound work and lead performances while many reviewers flagged a weaker third act and a plot that favors ambiguity over clear explanation.
- Production built roughly 30,000 square feet of practical sets across four soundstages, printed tens of thousands of square feet of wallpaper and laid similar amounts of carpet to reproduce the Backrooms’ liminal look.
- Box‑office trackers projected a roughly $40 million to $50 million opening weekend, which would be one of A24’s largest debuts and make the title commercially significant for the studio.
- The film keeps strong ties to the participatory online lore that spawned it by mixing found‑footage segments with conventional cinematography and ends on an ambiguous note that signals potential expansion of the Backrooms universe.