--- title: "Backrooms: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/backrooms/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/backrooms" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Backrooms (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 10 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics come away unsettled, and most mean it as praise. The admiration clusters on the look of the film: the endless fluorescent-yellow corridors, the oppressive production design and lighting, and the way it sits in dread rather than reaching for conventional scares. Several reviews are struck that a 20-year-old first-time director handles all this with such control, and The Guardian also singles out Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. The reservations cluster on length. The doubters grant that the atmosphere works in stretches but argue that an idea built for short online videos strains under a full feature: The New York Times finds over-explanation breaks the spell, Vulture calls the characters thin and the structure inept, and Den of Geek says it runs in circles. The spread is wide, from outright admiration to a shrug. Nobody disputes that the images are eerie. The argument is over whether eerie is enough to carry a whole film. ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2026. The critic calls the film an icily brilliant and genuinely disturbing conceptual horror debut that examines memory, reality and fear. They single out the barnstormingly good performances by Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve along with the amazing production design and oppressive yellowish lighting. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/27/backrooms-review-kane-parsons-icily-disturbing-horror-rewrites-the-genre-rulebook) ## Empire — Jamie Graham Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2026. Kane Parsons’ debut is a slow-burning, unnerving headscratcher and one of the most out-there surreal art-horror films since Eraserhead, blending found-footage and objective perspectives in an endless maze of liminal spaces. It favours opacity and unease over conventional scares and is not for everyone, but it launches the young director as a talent with a long career ahead. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/backrooms/) ## Los Angeles Times — Amy Nicholson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2026. The critic calls it a work of honest-to-goodness art and a mature story about loss and stagnation from a 20-year-old director. They single out the minimalist story that accommodates the audience’s imagination and a special-effects shot representing how memories warp. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-05-28/backrooms-review-kane-parsons-chiwetel-ejiofor-renate-reinsve) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2026. The review describes the film as a freaky, unnerving and brilliantly terrifying descent into an endless yellow maze that serves as an extension to hell. It praises the 20-year-old director's understanding of liminal spaces and eerie atmosphere. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/05/29/backrooms-review/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2026. The critic finds that Parsons assuredly turns the liminal-space creepypasta into an original horror with both scares and smarts. They highlight the careful balance struck between satisfying longtime fans of the YouTube series and appealing to newcomers. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/backrooms-review-chiwetel-ejiofor-and-renate-reinsve-lose-themselves-in-creepy-slow-burn-horror/5217194.article) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2026. The film is mesmeric and wildly unique, translating the online Backrooms lore into a cinematic experience that captures a generational subconscious in its exploration of liminal spaces. It lacks some shock factor compared to similar recent horrors but stands out for its environment-driven storytelling and potential to define a new wave of filmmakers. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/backrooms-movie-review-kane-parsons-b2981258.html) ## The New York Times — Beatrice Loayza Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2026. The critic finds that the film, expanded from a viral concept, wears thin under the weight of a full feature, though it slips under the skin with its surreal horror elements. They single out the bloated scale and over-explanation that breaks the uncanny spell. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/movies/backrooms-review-lost-in-the-expansion.html) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 29 May 2026. The critic finds the results very mixed, as the film struggles to expand the online Backrooms concept and liminal-spaces aesthetic into a sustained feature-length narrative. The atmospheric sequences in the eerie, illogical spaces are haunting and effective, but the characters are thinly drawn, the structure inept, and the overall attempt to turn a vibe into a movie falls short. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/backrooms-review-you-cant-turn-a-vibe-into-a-movie.html) ## NME — Matt Maytum Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 May 2026. The film is a conceptually bold horror with disquieting visuals drawn from the meme and web series, effectively using found footage and liminal spaces for dread. Praises the strong first half, atmospheric style, and memorable quality while noting it is vibes-based and may divide viewers on explanation levels. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/backrooms-review-kane-parsons-pixels-a24-chiwetel-ejiofor-3947711) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 2.5/5. 27 May 2026. The critic finds the film loses its way as a feature-length expansion, running in circles with vague ideas and feeling like an awkward IP extension despite some promise. Praises the eerie fluorescent-lit imagery and oppressive atmosphere but criticizes the lack of cohesive narrative and character depth. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/backrooms-review-a24-expansion-youtube-series/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/backrooms.md