BACKROOMS

dir. Kane Parsons, wr. Will Soodik, Kane Parsons, prd. A24.

Having not followed the original Backrooms during the analogue horror era of YouTube, I came in with little to expect from this movie, especially the horror elements it might offer. And must I say, I have been disproven.

The film itself is thrilling and chilling. The surrealistic horrors of this film has been achieved through absurd imageries and effectively placed jumpscares. The monsters, or what the movie calls "still-lifes", are made in such a way that make you feel discomfort and perhaps disgust, without ever being too "ridiculous" that it ruined the experience.

Production designs & CGI worked very seamlessly together, that you wouldn't be able to tell which is which. They worked in creating a very distinct atmosphere that you can't find in any other feature films. A feel that will stick with you, hours even days after you have left the theatre.

With such neat work for set design, came the responsibility for reliable camera works to showcase them, and this film had accomplished just that. The cinematography is another topic of praise for this film. It was perfection. Kane Parsons and Jeremy Cox had masterfully used meaningful shots inorporating low and high angle views, wide lenses, and POV shots that isolates you in the scene.

Not only that, the musics, aligned very well with the surrealistic and absurd tone of this film, making the atmosphere ten times more alive, and the thrill ten times more chilling.

The plot is underwhelming, and I believe is probably a topic of complaint about this film. But I believe that both this films strengths and intentions are not in the plot. Rather, it was the execution of the world, horror, and the exploration of the idea of the Backrooms itself that mattered.

I think the plot of the film, though underwhelming, had provided enough structure for you to be able to sit through it, without feeling too annoyed by the lack of story to follow. One minor downside for me however, is how the film can't multitask in both progressing the plot and showcasing the Backrooms.

The formula is always: Plot -> Backrooms chase -> Flashbacks -> Plot -> Backrooms chase...

Moreover, the characters' backgrounds have been teased the whole film and weren't quite given the needed closures. The lack of informations for Mary's childhood story consisting of her mother's mental issues, her isolations, and the cement hand-print makes the film feels incomplete.

About the ending, I believe that I am an enthusiast when it comes to left-for-interpretation endings as it would spark theories and healthy discussions, as well as a diverse interpretations that results in a lot of ways to view the film. I believe that this film falls in the perfect zone of enough information to conclude the Backrooms' lore, and enough mystery to be discussed.

Final ratings:

On Writing

1. story ------- 6/10
2. dialogs -- 7/10
3. characters -- 4/10

Total: 5.7/10

On Production

1. designs ---------- 10/10
2. SFX & music----- 10/10
3. Performance ------7/10
4. Cinematography 10/10

Total: 9.2/10

On Editing

1. VFX & CGI ------ 9/10
2. Pacing ---------- 8/10
3. Color ----------- 8/10

Total: 8.3/10

Technical rating: 7.7/10 Personal rating: 8/10