At just twenty years old, filmmaker Kane Parsons is following in the footsteps of many YouTube creators as he makes his feature debut with A24’s Backrooms, a horror film based on his beloved online series that is a spine-tingling showcase of a filmmaker with boundless potential and prowess.
Backrooms centers on a furniture store owner named Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a middle-aged man who has seemingly hit rock bottom, clinging to the past as he continues his endless cycle of alcohol dependency, depression, and emotional deflection. However, his life fundamentally changes when he discovers the hidden entrance to a part of the store he’s never seen before, a place that is not only new to him, but doesn’t seem to end, holding within in it dark secrets that spawn endless questions. Joining Ejiofor in the cast is Renate Reinsve as Mary, Clark’s therapist who increasingly becomes more concerned for his well-being the more he explores the recesses of his store.
Parsons is able to get his hooks deep in the viewer from the film’s opening scene alone, immediately establishing an overwhelming sense of dread and claustrophobia before he begins to explore the two central characters at the story’s core. The filmmaker’s influences are very apparent, shades of The Blair Witch Project, Severance, and even Barbarian to a certain extent coursing through the film. However, he’a able to imbue this genre entry with its own wholly unique voice and identity, showing impressive restraint and nuance with the film’s visual aesthetic. His vision is only enhanced by DP Jeremy Cox’s sublime cinematography, utilizing wide, open framing and empty space to craft a world that makes the viewer feel uneasy and paranoid, complimented by a terrific score and enveloping sound design that playfully toys with the viewer’s senses.
The production design is also incredible, each part of this world Clark discovers oozing its own wonderfully bizarre and meticulously realized personality, the attention to detail truly stunning. Each crevice and new corner of these rooms is more fascinating, tactile and immersive than the last, littered with items and furniture that draw the viewer in deeper and deeper, the same way in which Clark is slowly being pulled more and more into its compelling void. The thrills and chills are in also in strong supply, Parsons not only able to sustain palm-sweating suspense and tension, but deliver effective jolts and set pieces as well. Unlike most freshman filmmakers, he doesn’t rely on tired genre tropes or cheap jump scares. He’s far more interested in world building and the exploration of his two central characters, a choice that works in the film’s benefit tremendously. Even in the film’s climax, where most young filmmakers would attempt to do too much in order to deliver shock and awe, Parsons instead keeps things character focused as he delivers a resolution to his story that is as haunting as it is emotionally compelling.
The performances here are also top tier from Reinsve and Ejiofor. Ejiofor has proven time and time again what a versatile and dependable performer he can be and that is once again on full display. Though Clark is a character riddled with flaws and shortcomings, Ejiofor is able to imbue him with a magnetic pathos and vulnerability, taking what’s on the page and elevating it to the next level. Especially as Clark delves deeper into this dark new territory, Ejiofor is able to sell the horror and fascination of what the character experiences effectively as he slowly loses his already slippery grip on reality. Reinsve is also delivering stellar work here, taking what could’ve easily been a two-dimensional character and giving her needed layers, particularly as Mary’s past trauma bubbles to the surface as she herself experiences what lies dormant in the basement of this furniture store.
However, this horror film does fall short in a couple of areas. First and foremost, while its admirable how it attempts to tackle themes of mental health in regards to the patient/therapist relationship between Mary and Clark, it feels as if the film only dips its toes in the water when the water was plenty warm enough to jump right into the deep end. As a result, this impact of this exploration feels blunted, only scratching the surface of what could’ve been deeply engaging material as it wastes considerable potential in regards to both characters. Making matters a bit worse is the film’s resolution, which frankly spawns far more questions than it answers. Parsons does a fantastic job establishing this world and making it feel grounded and palpably unsettling, but in regards to the lore and mythology at its core, it feels as if he’s holding his secrets far too close to the chest. This results in a final act that, while incredibly entertaining, leaves the viewer wanting far more than they should, clearly alluding to possible continuations of the story that could potentially explore the myriad of threads it leaves dangling.
4 out of 5 stars.
Backrooms is a stunning debut for Parsons, showcasing a young talent that has impressive foundational skills as a filmmaker and storyteller, His handle on tone, character and world building makes for a horror film that is not only singular and refreshing, but one that, like its endless rooms and corridors, swallows the audience whole. The future is bright for this talented filmmaker and if this debut feature solidifies anything, it’s that furniture will never be seen the same way again.
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