Backrooms

Trigger Warning: Narcissistic Behavior and emotional abuse is discussed. Warning: Jumpscares, dismembered body parts, and little blood is shown.

I was not planning on seeing Backrooms, despite some initial curiosity. However, after being recommended by a friend that this was a great film, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and watch this film. After my experience, that while I still am not a fan of horror films, this was a great example of making an original horror film. Little to no blood, jumpscares, and having the thrill of being invited into the world of the characters and the horrors they are about to experience.

Parsons did a fantastic job of letting the score speak for itself. What I see in horror films these days is having a lot of blood or having the value of shock factor. Depending on the film/context, it’s not an attractive look in my opinion. It makes the film almost unmarketable and doesn’t make me want to spend the money on these films. However, Parson didn’t need lights, a lot of gore/shock factor in order to make the film successful. He was able to step back and allow the score to do its job. My goodness did the score do its job. The way it made us slowly keep us on the edge of our seats and make us feel at ease and match the tone of the scene was perfect. My heart was racing in the first 10 minutes of the film and while a lot of the credit has to go to the score, the cinematography really shined in those terror moments

The cinematography for me was clever usage of taking advantage of letting the audience get the character’s perspective. We not only see the shakiness of the camera work, but also the reactions of those around him and the panic that sets in the process. The shakiness could’ve been used as a gimmick and overtake the film’s tone to not only the horror aspect but the layers that the film offers in the character’s journey into there ultimate demise, Parson got the balance between the action transporting us into the world of the film and the stillness of us witnessing the events that happens in the backrooms. I was absorbed in the world and was able to stay glued to the movie from start to finish, not knowing what will happen next.

This wasn’t any typical horror film that didn’t rely on violence, blood, and character deaths for the sake of it, Parsons goes deeper with the character’s lives outside of the horror aspect. Clark, despite him being our protagonist is bitter. In the beginning, we see him take steps to become a better person and we expect him to turn his life around. Unfortunately, as the film progresses, we see his ambition to discover and document the backrooms overtake his humanity as he ignores his employee, Kat’s cries to leave. He pushes them to the limit and ultimately they meet a very horrific ending. It’s hard to watch but it can happen when the failure and bitterness of a person turns into obsession and it puts others at risk in order to prove he’s right. Eijofor did a great job of portraying a character that’s so bitter and narcissistic without making him so unlikeable that we root for his death to come quickly. The expression he makes is indescribable. I got chills when he realizes that no matter how hard he tries, his demons/pride takes over to the point where he doesn’t want to change. His eyes go wide and his body shakes where you can’t help, to some degree feel sympathy for him because there’s a deeper root behind his behavior and while they could’ve made him redeemable, it was a clever idea to not do that. I think the point of Clark is he can be anyone, someone that is bitter and no matter how hard you try to help someone, the bottom line is they need to make an effort to try and change and it all can’t come from you. You can only do so much before they realize they have work to do and unfortunately some people don’t want to change and better themselves.

Mary Kline, Clark’s therapist on the other hand tries everything she can to change and overcome the abuse/trauma that she experienced as a kid. In the beginning, we see her try and help Clark through his issues and behaviors that take time to change with knowing little about the struggles she went through as a kid. However, as the movie progresses, we see the layers of her character begin to unravel and she gets forced into a mindset that she never wanted to come back to. While it could’ve gotten convoluted and I will admit, first glance it does become a little confusing, by the end of the film you do see everything come together and her journey ends with a tragic ending of her becoming permanently trapped in the backrooms, becoming the one thing she feared: being stuck in one place like her mother. It’s unsettling, especially since all of the effort she put into helping Clark and trying to better herself just to have her permanently silenced in that room where she’s trapped by her childhood memories and trauma she experienced. One thing I love is she knew her limits. While she is depicted as a kind person, she realized her worth and was able to call it as she saw it, especially when she saw that Clark couldn’t and wouldn’t change and told him the truth, despite him not wanting to accept it. She was the definition of being the anchor for someone that was toxic and cutting them out before it was too late. Her character shows strength who unfortunately wasn’t able to overcome the trauma they face.

The ending will make you speechless and shook up. I won’t lie, the ending of this film left me shaking and my heart racing. As Mary is trapped there, figuring out the reason behind the researcher’s purpose after one of there own explorers is killed while researching the purpose, the muteness/numbness of Mary come into play and despite wanting to hear what Philly, the scientist of Async is saying, it shows a lot of the trauma that pushes Mary over the edge.

Speaking of Async researchers and scientists, I wish we did get to see more of their purpose in the movie. Yes, we do see them in the opening and some context to their role in the movie, I didn’t feel that they got explored enough. They were in the beginning and then with all of the action and following Clark and Mary, they disregard the scientists of Async until the ending and even then not every viewer will remember. I’ll keep an open mind since this movie is based on Parson’s own web series, so they might play a bigger role in the movie and the bonus footage they’ve released could explain more. However, I think there moments where Parson could’ve shown some balance between the scientists and the main characters. However, I do understand that could’ve been a little overwhelming for non-viewers of the web series/the audience in general.

Other than the lack of context for the Async scientist/researchers, Parson shows us how psychological horror is done. No gimmicks, shock value, unnecessary deaths, just a horror film that becomes an intimate viewing experience for the audience. This was a movie that is worth seeing in the theaters. I know this movie came out late May, but for any fans of Parson’s web series/psychological horror see this film in theaters while you have the chance as you will not regret it!