A yellow room, the hum of fluorescent lights and the uneasy feeling of being trapped somewhere that should not exist — the internet legend Backrooms is stepping out of the screen and into Hong Kong cinemas on June 6.
Produced by A24 and adapted from the global urban myth that has drawn more than 200 million views online, Backrooms turns one of the internet’s most unsettling horror concepts into a feature film built on claustrophobia, retro aesthetics and psychological dread.
The story follows Clark, played by Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, a furniture store owner who accidentally discovers that a basement wall leads to a strange liminal space. Behind it lies an endless maze of corridors, stacked furniture, peeling yellow wallpaper and dim lights that never stop buzzing.
Renate Reinsve, winner of Best Actress at Cannes for The Worst Person in the World, plays Mary, a therapist who enters the “yellow labyrinth” while searching for a missing patient. As she follows the clues, the space begins to reveal its own quiet terror, where familiar surroundings slowly turn into something deeply wrong.
The Backrooms myth began in 2019 after an anonymous 4chan user posted an image of a yellow room and described a place where people might “noclip” out of reality. The idea quickly grew into a collective online horror universe.
Its most influential version came from VFX artist Kane Parsons, known for his YouTube channel Kane Pixels, whose found-footage short The Backrooms (Found Footage) has reached 77 million views in four years. Parsons later expanded the concept across 23 videos, drawing more than 3 million subscribers.
A24 invited the 20-year-old filmmaker to direct the feature adaptation, bringing the internet-born nightmare to a wider audience. The film is backed by a strong horror production team, including James Wan, creator of The Conjuring universe, members of the production team behind Stranger Things, and Longlegs director Osgood Perkins.
Following its world premiere in Los Angeles, the film drew strong early reactions. The Playlist described Parsons as “a new horror director to watch,” while critic Courtney Howard praised his “brilliant, frightening vision.” Fandango’s Erik Davis called the film a “wholly unique and original horror film,” and /Film critic BJ Colangelo described it as “the best creepypasta adaptation” to date.
To mark the Hong Kong release, local promotional campaigns will bring the atmosphere of Backrooms closer to the city. Local game developer GameCrewHK has produced a special collaboration short film that blends the film’s themes with its horror game BLOCK 13, which is set in vintage public housing. The short reimagines the Backrooms terror inside the familiar corridors of Hong Kong estates.
Special screenings will also be arranged, with the game development team sharing their creative process and insights.
Meanwhile, social media platform va.hongkong will launch a city-wide treasure hunt, placing mysterious gifts at Hong Kong landmarks that carry a Backrooms-like visual atmosphere. The campaign invites the public to look again at the city’s hidden corners and discover the eerie beauty of its urban spaces.
marco.lam@singtaonewscorp.com
