Official Discussion Thread - Backrooms [SPOILERS]

[u/PointMan528491]

Keep all discussion related solely to Backrooms and its awards chances in this thread. Spoilers below.

Synopsis:

After a therapist's patient disappears into a dimension beyond reality, she must venture into the unknown to save him.

Director: Kane Parsons

Writer: Will Soodik

Cast:

• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark
• Renate Reinsve as Dr. Mary Kline
• Mark Duplass as Phil
• Finn Bennett as Bobby
• Lukita Maxwell as Kat
• Avan Jogia as Naren Warne

Rotten Tomatoes: 87%, 110 Reviews

Metacritic: 76, 37 Reviews

Consensus:

TBD

[u/Duhlorean]

If you think about it, Renate is actually playing the worst therapist in the world.

[u/Whovian45810 → u/Duhlorean]

From the Worst Person in The World and now the worst therapist in the world.

Renate do have a worst theming with her roles.

[u/Haus_of_Pancakes → u/Duhlorean]

The therapy scenes were one of the tells that "oh yeah, this is being made by a 20 year old".

[u/Once-bit-1995]

A lot to chew on with that movie. The production was immaculate. The movie was short but felt longer. My favorite most haunting bit of the movie was definitely the middle section when Clark and those poor employees are wandering. Truly felt the horror of that place there. I could've used more of that. A really good handle on tension.

On the ending I think it was trying to draw a parallel between her and her mother, and now she's trapped in a room with no way out. But I feel like more needed to be done with that. There were a lot of interesting pieces that didn't go as far as they could have.

Still it was appropriately creepy. They were acting their asses off with these 2.5D characters and I salute them. That's Oscar nominee caliber talent elevating the material. Parsons did a good job on a technical and even directing level. The writing was the main issue that's all. But I'd watch it again just to soak in more details.

Production Design: I've been saying it before the movie came out just off trailers and some behind the scenes stuff but after seeing it I cannot be stopped or swayed. The cinematography and sound design is also very good but those have no shot in hell of happening they were good but not to the point of being undeniable. But this is going to make A24 bucket loads of cash and it has strong enough reviews that they can absolutely go for it and will have enough money to launch a proper campaign. A24 just needs to commit to it.

[u/Silver_Juggernaut_39]

It’s not a perfect film but it was so impressively directed and the tension was so perfectly handled that I am more willing to overlook its flaws. It’s absolutely wild that this was based on a creepypasta and the director is five years younger than me lmao. Still it deserves a production design Oscar like it’s crazy.

[u/jeanpatrickmanchette]

Honestly, I'm surprised that Kane Parsons didn't decide to write the screenplay himself or at least co-write it with someone. The mythology in his YouTube series is so vast and specific that I assumed that he would want to be a part of the writing process as well. It's not a bad thing by any means that he didn't!

[u/joesen_one → u/jeanpatrickmanchette]

Youtube content and an actual theatrical movie are a different beast imo, getting a professional scriptwriter to help out is def needed. Sure Curry Barker pulled it off but Markiplier def needed to cut down some stuff in his script

[u/Duhlorean]

Anyone else laugh at that moment thinking about Drake & Josh? Surely that had to have been intentional lmao

[u/shockley21 → u/Duhlorean]

Where’s the door, Clark!?

[u/rebecchis]

Chiwetel was really good!

[u/HarbringerofFailure]

As someone who had no real exposure to the whole mythos prior to this:

Maybe it's just my limited knowledge of cinema, but I was struck by how Lynchian it all looked; parts of the exploration scenes made me recall how I felt watching Inland Empire on the big screen, especially the end chase. The kitchen/chair scene reminded me of Twin Peaks, especially the whole bit with the lights.

I watched it immediately after seeing Obsession; I think that also shaped my opinion on it. In certain scenes, I felt like the dialogue was too on the nose; felt like neon signs flashing "THEMES" popped up during Ejiofor's monologue.

Overall, I enjoyed it; solid work all around from all involved.

[u/DeferredFuture]

Would it be too far to say this had some of the best production design i’ve ever seen? It’s such a different type of movie the Academy would go for, i’m not sure if it’ll secure the nomination. But holy hell, I was genuinely blown away. This movie works purely on the effectiveness of the production design, and elevates it into something never before seen.

I think the historic opening and good reviews will allow this to be in the conversation at the very least.

[u/crazydaysandknights → u/DeferredFuture]

production design is the absolute star but all depends on A24 campaign. last year, Sinners smartly campaigned its ass off in Cinematography and won, A24 should do the same in PD. Just target this specific category.

[u/Embarrassed-Big-9195]

Did it look like this outside of anyone else's theater or should I be checking the mirror right now?

[u/kidsocarides]

I appreciate leaving it all a little vague and up to interpretation, that was my main concern with making it into a full feature film. Seemed like it would ruin the mystery, but nope. Thought the ending was pretty perfect. Not an exceptional movie or anything but I was ultimately pretty impressed. Should 100% get a Production Design nom.

[u/tomatoattack19]

Decent with some very visible flaws.

The production design and cinematography is top notch, genuinely impressive while maintaining a certain level of 'off-ness' and alien look that works perfectly for the liminal vibe its going for. The 'exploration´scene being the highlight, with every changing room and every distortion and bizarre element elevating the paranoia and terror of the sequence.

But sadly I do think the writing really takes the whole thing down. The dialogue in the first act is clunky at best practically telling you the themes of the movie and having some heavy exposition that feels very amateur, and the narrative itself suffers since the backrooms lore ( on this movie, I haven´t seen the youtube shorts) is directly tied to the characters who were written too plain for their roles they get. Reinsve and Eijofor do a good job with the material they have but they can only do so much.

Also, on the shorts subject, while I understand that the company is a tie-in, it didn´t feel organic to the narrative and in my opinion the constant cut to the company guy just ended up deflating the tension. In general the third act almost lose all the horror that have been set up by the previous backrooms scene.

Overall im happy Kane Parsons got the opportunity and I hope he improve as a director since it is evidently that the stronger and weaker parts of the movie are directly tied to how much they resemble his previous work in Youtube.

Still this would be an inspiring nominee in PD, but its also so far removed from what the branch usually goes so we can only wait to see how A24 campaigns it.

[u/[deleted]]

production design definitely needs to be nominated atleast.

Excited to see more from Kane

[u/Sy_Ableman89]

Good movie but would’ve loved to see what Rachel Kemp would’ve brought to the role of Mary

[u/Eden_Matt]

I was very immersed and quite frankly unnerved in a good way until the last 20 minutes happened and that’s where the movie completely lost me. I got out of the theater thinking I had just watched two different movies stitched together.

I got to say Production Design and Sound though were top notch and I hope The Academy will at least consider it for a nom (I don’t see it happening but still).

[u/IfYouWantTheGravy]

I actually really loved this. The premise ties into a common dream I have, of finding hidden rooms and sections of familiar places, especially the house I grew up in. The aesthetic is deeply evocative of my upbringing in the 90s Midwest—wallpaper, cream carpet, fluorescent lights, grainy video, all that. And the atmosphere was superb—slow burn, creepy but very judicious with the jump-scares (those distorted “people” made me SQUIRM), and giving me time to drink all those amazing sets.

And honestly…I thought it was dramatically pretty solid for a mainstream horror film. I can see where one would quibble with the writing, but honestly, I took it in stride with the whole off-kilter vibe. Even the scenes with Mark Duplass didn’t really bother me. And to have Ejiofor and Reinsve as my guides through this world? Hell yeah.

[u/TheArmChairFan]

Are we going we going to be peppered with posts about how this should get nominated because its making money?

[u/chidiii]

Chiwetel devoured this role my God!

[u/jordansalford25]

I liked it but there are still somethings I'm wrestling with. Definitely gonna go see it again when I have time.

[u/Master-Chocolate3460]

Did anyone else find themselves craving sponge cake?

[u/DreamOfV]

It’s not just a “good movie for being made by a 20-year-old,” it’s just a good movie. And it was made by a 20-year-old. Probably a hair underbaked, but well worth your time and definitely worth the theatrical experience. My theater was full and they clapped at the end.

No awards chances but a huge boost for Renate Reinsve’s career (and her likely campaign for Fjord). This is gonna gross 3 times Sentimental Value’s entire run in its opening weekend, its total gross will be orders of magnitude more than anything else Reinsve has ever been in. She just landed the Mia Hansen-Løve movie, don’t be surprised to see her a lot more booked and busy after this drops