I must admit, I did not have big expectations before seeing this. A 20-year-old director's debut film, who previously was making mini-series on YouTube. It's based on memes originating from 4chan and later extended on Reddit... seemed like a match made in Dante's Inferno.

But they say don't judge a book by its cover.

So thankfully, this movie is actually pretty good. Refreshing even. Being scary/adrenaline inducing is actually on the menu with this one, and I really enjoyed the humour throughout. It also has elements of that A24 production aesthetic of course (take it or leave it, I happen to like it) and the actors are putting in really solid performances here. The two leads are awesome in their own way. Renate Reinsve being, in my opinion, a better fit for the role of Mary, the therapist, than the previous candidate Cristin Milioti. Chiwetel also kills it in the role of Clark.

One of the best examples of adapting an internet-y concept and actually expanding it into a feature-length film. Also, credit where credit is due, "Backrooms" as a concept and as a vibe seems to be really challenging to describe, but the movie certainly excels in the depiction of the aesthetic. It also avoids pitfalls like showing and revealing too much, which is a hefty balancing act. Instead of spoiling the mystery completely, by the end, the audience leaves wanting to know even more about this universe, while only a small handful of questions are answered. Backrooms II in the works? Well, I certainly hope so.

Sidenote: A seagull flew into the open-air movie theatre we were watching this in, when the backroom seagull was doing its thing too. Talk about immersive cinema lol.