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Backrooms Debuts With Strong Previews as Critics Praise Its Liminal Design

Practical, large-scale sets and aggressive sound work have turned a niche internet meme into a mainstream test of creator-led studio filmmaking.

Overview

  • The A24 release opened in cinemas Friday, May 29, following roughly $9 million in Thursday preview grosses and tracking toward a $40–50 million opening weekend.
  • Critics have broadly praised the film’s atmosphere, production design and sound, with aggregated scores near the high 80s on Rotten Tomatoes.
  • Several reviewers warned that the film’s third act and explanatory stretches weaken the payoff, and many flagged the ambiguous ending as unsatisfying for some viewers.
  • Kane Parsons, the 20-year-old director who built the Backrooms concept on YouTube, retained creative control on the feature and received public backing from cast members defending his authorship.
  • Production emphasized huge practical builds — reported at about 30,000 square feet of sets with tens of thousands of square feet of wallpaper and carpet — and the film’s open ending and in-story research group have industry watchers seeing clear sequel or franchise potential.