Backrooms (2026)

Welcome back to Because I'm John Sellmeyer. In this episode, we are slipping through the cracks of reality to talk about A24's Backrooms. Directed by Kane Parsons, this movie is a psychological terror vehicle that feels exactly like staring at an old Windows 95 3D Maze screensaver until it actually traps you. We break down Chiwetel Ejiofor's incredible performance as Clark, a failing furniture store owner who literally steps out of bounds into an endless dimension of liminal spaces. We also get into Renate Reinsve's extremely realistic take as his therapist, Dr. Mary Kline, plus great supporting work by Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell. We discuss how the film acts as a prism that refracts its visitors. It turns dread and unresolved trauma into physical form, capturing the claustrophobia of wandering through endless rooms of unreality. It is a fantastic adaptation of the internet lore, right down to the entities waiting for you by the damp carpet.