# Backrooms (2026) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, documentary-bio\ **Created:** [June 2, 2026, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562 "2026-06-02T13:32:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/41 "2026-09-28T22:07:01Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > The entire film _Under the Skin_ gave me that feeling of unease. Like it’s a hard watch because the entire film is ordinary, mundane settings in Scottland, but seen through the eyes (or whatever) of an alien disguised as Scarlet Johannson. Everything is surreal and uncanny and threatening. > > _Annihilation_ was like that too. Yes, you also had traditional “monster attacks”. But the whole setting just gives off that uncanny insanity-inducing “it looks harmless and familiar, but everything is dangerously ‘off’” vibe. I fully agree about both those movies. Both very effective at creating unease (and with respectable plots and good acting and effects too, in my view). A lot of that unease, in those movies as well as in _Hereditary_ (referenced earlier in the thread) comes from their sound designs. All these young filmmakers learned from David Lynch, I believe, tips and tricks for using sound to disorient audiences. _Backrooms_ didn’t seem as, well, severe in its sound design–just as well, because it can be tough to experience those more extreme movies (unless one turns off the sound!) > [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > The multi-language recordings seemed to be from the Voyager record… That was clever. It fit well with the time period. And its presence was ambiguous: had it been placed there by the Async people? (perhaps hoping to communicate with people pulled in from all over the world?) Or had some other entity operating the Backrooms constructed it from some scientist’s memory? _V’ger, is that you???_ ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/42 "2026-09-28T22:23:37Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > _Backrooms_ didn’t seem as, well, severe in its sound design–just as well, because it can be tough to experience those more extreme movies (unless one turns off the sound!) IMHO Christopher Nolan is a master at combining sound design with mind-bending, time-warping settings. _TENET, Dunkirk, Interstellar,_ and _Inception_ all come to mind. These are all films that can feel both epically spacious and menacingly claustrophobic at the same time. Dunkirk specifically used a specific note progression in the score to intentionally create tension. I forget all the technical details but the score was meant to sound like it was constantly rising without ever reaching an actual crescendo. _Backrooms_, I don’t think needed much sound beyond buzzing fluorescents and muffled footsteps. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/43 "2026-09-29T23:06:54Z")
Agreed on Nolan. And _Backrooms_ does benefit from the sensory associations we have with fluorescent lights (and their sounds). That phenomenon is, or at least was, part of everyday life for many–and yet it’s largely absent from our filmed entertainment. (Until this movie, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/44 "2026-09-29T23:36:43Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > This phenomenon–large empty spaces–having a name (“liminal”) and a subculture was new to me. I’ve always been fascinated by large empty spaces, possibly due to being an introverted person. There’s an element of this in the very good horror film [You Should Have Left.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8201852/) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/45 "2026-09-30T15:25:05Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Agreed on Nolan. > > And _Backrooms_ does benefit from the sensory associations we have with fluorescent lights (and their sounds). That phenomenon is, or at least was, part of everyday life for many–and yet it’s largely absent from our filmed entertainment. (Until this movie, of course.) I would disagree with that statement a bit. That sort of stark fluorescent lighting phenomenon is frequently used in film and television to present an oppressive, dull, institutional environment. Here’s a classic scene from [Joe vs the Volcano.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHsNSPwfdbE) Other films like Fight Club or The Matrix have similar fluorescent light settings. It’s fairly common filming shorthand. Job sucks - workers in cheap rumpled suits in windowless cubicle farm with buzzing, flickering fluorescents. Awesome job - workers in expensive tailored suits in office with lots of wood paneling, color, textures, high ceilings, panoramic skyline views. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/46 "2026-09-30T16:36:17Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Probably some or most of the subsequent movies from YouTube content creators will be less successful. (I’m just hoping for something not horror.) You can hope, [but horror is the cheapest way for new filmmakers to break in to the business.](https://raindance.org/why-horror-is-the-perfect-playground-for-low-budget-filmmakers/) At least, with impactful films. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/47 "2026-09-30T16:38:49Z")
I’m hoping for a big budget feature film based on one of the nerdy documentaries I like to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/48 "2026-09-30T22:09:43Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I would disagree with that statement a bit. That sort of stark fluorescent lighting phenomenon is frequently used in film and television to present an oppressive, dull, institutional environment. You’re right about that, but none of those make the windowless-fluorescent place the characters’ world for the bulk of the movie (which is part of what’s striking about _Backrooms_ even if it’s not unique). Instead, as you imply, that world’s existence stands for the need to change one’s life–to move to something better. > [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > There’s an element of this in the very good horror film [You Should Have Left.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8201852/) I looked it up and will check it out. Decent cast, which often implies that the screenplay is respectable! ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/49 "2026-10-01T15:54:18Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I looked it up and will check it out. Decent cast, which often implies that the screenplay is respectable! You won’t be disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/50 "2026-10-01T20:09:14Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > But I have to say there is no way in hell I would go exploring around some infinite liminal space I found while glitching through an already creepy basement. Ahhh, but you’d never know it was infinite without exploring. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/51 "2026-10-01T20:37:52Z")
You are supposed to send in some— how’s it go? — Class-D personnel ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/52 "2026-10-02T09:33:48Z")
In the category of stories about liminal spaces, Susannah Clarke’s _[Piranesi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piranesi_(novel))_ is getting made into a stage play (Royal Shakespeare Company) and an animated film (Laika). I will be fascinated to see how they make it work on stage. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/53 "2026-10-03T23:02:23Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > _Backrooms_, I don’t think needed much sound beyond buzzing fluorescents and muffled footsteps. I remember Backrooms having quite a bit of low frequency rumble through much of the movie. I picked up some nice Sennheiser headphones for watching cinematic movies without disturbing the neighbors (and also not being disturbed _by_ the neighbors, or the dishwasher, or leaf blowers, etc…) and the rumble was pretty significant. I think I ended up having to turn the volume down a couple clicks because the tension / ear fatigue eventually got to be too much for me. EDIT: There is a small chance I’m mixing it up with a different film. I need to go back and check out the post-credits scene to be sure I saw it anyway. I’ll give a quick scan for the rumble then. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/54 "2026-10-04T00:56:29Z")
Okay I just scanned through, and yeah, there is a very loud low frequency rumble through all of the scenes in the backrooms. Over half the time there’s an actual “musical” score that the low bass rumble is part of, but it’s discordant and incoherent. Produced by musical instruments, at least. But I only hear the low rumble in the headphones, where it is super loud. If I just use my TV speakers I pretty much can’t hear the low rumble at all. It definitely adds to the unsettling feel of it all, but it is almost distractingly loud. I wonder if I would have gotten a headache from watching this in the theater. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/55 "2026-10-04T01:59:45Z")
I think it’s all about AI. The whole backroom area feels like it was generated by 2-3 years ago AI. Some things are almost right, until you look closely. Other things just don’t make any sense. Normal life is a mix of hard and boring, but here is this new thing that is exciting, but also messed up and dangerous. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I’m hoping for a big budget feature film based on one of the nerdy documentaries I like to watch 2 hours and 52 minutes, filmed in IMAX, of Alec talking about dishwashers. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/56 "2026-10-04T21:35:35Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > I think it’s all about AI. The whole backroom area feels like it was generated by 2-3 years ago AI. Some things are almost right, until you look closely. Other things just don’t make any sense. Normal life is a mix of hard and boring, but here is this new thing that is exciting, but also messed up and dangerous. Yeah, there’s a strong contingent of folks who believe the movie was explicitly made as an allegory on AI. Could be. It’s easy to see how that fits the older AI-generated materials, as you note (hands with six fingers and all that sort of thing). Of course the movie is set more than three decades back, which in itself doesn’t seem to tie into commentary on AI. (As with so many movies set before 2000, some of this choice of time period is about removing cell phones as a viable means of communicating when in danger. That lack of capacity helps build suspense.) Some of the genesis of this is (as noted in this thread) an old photo of an old space, which grabbed people’s interest. Yellow and irregular and empty. None of that aspect seems tied to AI. But I’ll grant you that much of what’s been built on that original internet phenomenon, _ **can** _ be interpreted in terms of a commentary on AI. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/57 "2026-10-04T21:40:53Z")
Not so much AI but the concept of reality playing a game of “telephone” with itself. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/58 "2026-10-04T21:50:56Z")
That does fit. (There are more ideas in that movie than some people give it credit for, such as the ‘copy of a copy of a copy’ aspect and its “telephone” variant.) In my previous post I mentioned the original photo that inspired the Backrooms phenomenon. It’s shown in a post by @Darren_Garrison , reachable from this quote: > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > It is a movie based on a thread at 4chan. A short video (under 2 minutes) shows the ‘before and after’ of the real-life original space, here: > **[Original photo behind 'Backrooms' horror film was taken in Oshkosh](https://www.nbc26.com/oshkosh/original-photo-behind-backrooms-horror-film-was-taken-in-oshkosh)** > > The horror film "Backrooms" has grossed more than $200 million, and the original photo that inspired it was taken at what is now John's Hobbies in Oshkosh. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/59 "2026-10-06T03:25:33Z")
I saw it tonight. The first scene made me want to crawl out of my skin. I’m not very good at finding my way around, you see. This ramped up the tension considerably. Then it got progressively less scary (with the exception of the kitchen scene, shudder.) It was very interesting visually, I thought it had strong directing and acting. I thought the script fell apart, by the end I felt it was all pretty meaningless. With the hamfisted therapy moments ("I don’t want to change!) I read it as some kind of metaphor for the subconscious, the guy was being sustained by his shitty memories, and then his own id literally ate him. That’s what happens if you don’t deal with your issues! The woman’s memories of being cooped up by a crazy mother never really went anywhere. I figured it would be relevant to the plot somehow. Nope. But we did see she has her own backrooms. I would have liked it better without the final scene where they tried to make it sound scientific. “We don’t understand anything about it.” Yeah the human brain is like that. The scene reveals nothing and tells you nothing else about the character. There’s no character journey that I could discern. The only thing I could really make of that is she had dealt with her own shit, which made her the survivor. There is so much discussion in the beginning on that lady’s cassette about how the mind has unexplored rooms and we cut ourselves off from them. This was not a subtle film. I guess some people think it is about AI. I didn’t get that. Anyway I thought the directing and set design were great. I would watch something else by this same director as long as it had a different screenwriter. Hat’s off to that achievement at age 20. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562/60 "2026-10-12T10:11:19Z")
Last night I discovered that my headphones have some kind of “extra bass” mode that I had apparently turned on when I watched backrooms. When I turned it off and watched for a few minutes, I could still hear the discordant low frequency rumble but it wasn’t overpowering or fatiguing. So it turns out that was just a me thing about how loud it was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/backrooms-2026/1030562.md?page=2)