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Backrooms

Backrooms

See how far it goes.

2026126 minRMidcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Director
Kane Parsons

A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Backrooms?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Backrooms streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Backrooms?

Backrooms earns 10 badges, led by Top 5% in Horror and Cultural touchstone.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Backrooms worth watching?

Backrooms' Midcredits score is the 72nd percentile of all films, from 3.5M ratings across 6 sources. 62% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

72nd percentile

Better received than 72% of films

96th percentile among Horror73rd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)74th
Approval (how many liked it)68th

68 /100

74th percentile of all films

96th percentile among Horror74th percentile among 2020s

Critics 76 · Audience 68

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.7 — solid but not unanimous.

62% liked it

68th percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Horror69th percentile among 2020s
62% rated it 7–1038% rated it 1–6

Critics 86% · Audience 74%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 15 noms overall

99th percentile

3.5M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Horror99th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$10M
Opening weekend$81M
Domestic gross$198M
Worldwide gross$400M

Returned 40.0× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A visually striking, atmospheric film that sacrifices narrative clarity for mood and metaphor.

Fans praised

  • unsettling liminal atmosphere and oppressive sound design
  • strong performances by Ejiofor and Reinsve ground the surreal horror
  • ambitious, fresh psychological horror that avoids cheap jump scares

Detractors panned

  • meandering, plotless narrative that never coheres
  • underdeveloped characters and weak dialogue
  • unsatisfying, cryptic ending that feels like a franchise setup

What stands out

Atmosphere90

masterful liminal dread and unsettling tone

Cinematography85

striking camera work and production design

ActingDivisive78

Ejiofor and Reinsve deliver committed, grounding performances

TensionDivisive60

effective dread in first half, dissipates later

CharactersDivisive45

underwritten arcs and abrupt transformations

PacingDivisive35

slow-burn that drags in the middle and loses momentum

Plot and storyDivisive30

thin, fragmented story with unresolved threads

EndingDivisive25

abrupt, cryptic, and unsatisfying

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 20 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 12 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Backrooms like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to be scared.

It leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

A taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Bleak · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its material with dead seriousness, using the liminal horror and internal metaphors without irony.
The rideThe unrelenting oppressive atmosphere suggests sustained existential dread from start to finish.
StructureThe story unfolds linearly from entry into the Backrooms to a cryptic ending, though the third act shifts focus and leaves arcs unresolved.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's unresolved ending and metaphorical horror linger, leaving a sense of unease and existential dread.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1% (this title)
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Inner demon: The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe protagonist faces an internal monster—a manifestation of his own rage and trauma—while trapped in the Backrooms, making it a psychological struggle rather than a physical one.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalIsolation · 5% of filmsTrauma · 7% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on the desperate fight to stay alive and sane inside an endlessly shifting, empty maze.
StanceThe film likely questions the nature of reality and the self under extreme isolation, rather than celebrating or warning explicitly.

The world

Late 20th centuryInstitutionalHorror supernatural
AmbientBackground music · original score
Settingan endless, dimly lit maze of abandoned offices and corridors
MusicDroning, minimalist tones would heighten the sense of unease.

Content guide

Is Backrooms okay for kids?

R

Backrooms is rated R: “Rated R for language and some violent content/bloody images” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (70/100), sexual content at minimal (6/100), language at intense (74/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (34/100) and frightening material at severe (86/100). Overall it is heavier than 62% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 46 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina+13
  • Austria16
  • Belgium16
  • BGD
  • CL14
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK15
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary16
  • ID17+
  • IndiaA
  • Israel12
  • Italy14+
  • LTN-16
  • LU16
  • MexicoB-15
  • MOC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • PhilippinesR-13
  • PortugalM/14
  • PRR
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeNC16
  • SK15
  • South Africa16
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • Taiwan15+
  • TH15
  • Türkiye16+
  • UA16+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 77% of all filmsHeavier than 62% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 50%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 1%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 63%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 31%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 89%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material, language, and violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Backrooms have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Backrooms?

Crew

Directed by

Kane Parsons

Written by

Roberto PatinoKane Parsons

Produced by

Judson Scott, Dan Cohen, Dan Levine, Chris White, Shawn Levy, Michael Clear
+2 more, Roberto Patino, James Wan

More like this

What are movies like Backrooms?

Movies like Backrooms include Skinamarink (2022), The Cell (2000) and Those Who Walk Away (2022). Of the 12 closest matches, most are psychological horror films, and several are stories about monsters.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its subject: survival. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Backrooms?

82 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: elevated horror. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.