Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark in Backrooms                                                                                               Screen Rant                                                                                

Backrooms is Brought to Hollywood

BY JIYA DOSS

June 23, 2026

Backrooms has generated excitement all over the country, with many anticipating it as a standout contestant in modern horror. Backrooms, directed by Kane Parson and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, had its theatrical release in the United States on May 29th, 2026. In just 6 days, Backrooms made $100 million at the domestic box office, becoming A24’s first movie ever to do so, and their highest grossing movie stateside. Building on the viral internet phenomenon, the backrooms started as a collaborative horror concept about an endless, maze-like dimension of completely empty and deathly silent spaces. The film brings the familiar, yet, unsettling concept of the backrooms to a larger audience, blending nostalgia with fresh execution. Online reactions suggest that its eerie atmosphere and psychological tension could make it one of the most unique horror releases in recent years.

Students, in particular, are intrigued by the film’s distinct approach to fear. Giana Lopez, a sophomore at East Brunswick High School said, “I knew even before it was released that Backrooms would have a lot of potential because it’s so different from other concepts,” She enjoyed how the movie departs from traditional jump-scare tactics. Instead, it leans into discomfort and the disturbingness of the unknown, creating a lingering sense of unease. 

Others are drawn to its early role in internet culture. Junior Sahana Ramkumar expressed that she has “always been fascinated by the ‘unfiction’ genre…especially indie internet creations like the backrooms.” This urban legend of the backrooms was turned into a youtube web series by Kane Parsons in 2022. Ramkumar, along other viewers, note that changing the backrooms from the found-footage style seen in the webseries to a more ordinary film format may change the experience for original enjoyers of the internet phenomenon. However, this shift also allows for a more developed, long-form story. This balance between adhering to the original narrative and adapting is part of what makes the film so compelling.

The release of Backrooms demonstrated the evolving tastes of EBHS students, where digital culture and storytelling intersect. As students anticipate its release and debate its creative choices, the film highlights how audiences are shaping and interpreting a new era of fresh and experimental horror.