Backrooms, the long awaited adaptation of the internet sensation, is finally here. As someone who was genuinely excited for this film, I couldn’t help but feel that, at times, the horror of this feature struggled to capture the same sense of dread and mystery that made the original short so effective.

From the opening sequences, I sensed there might be something special here. The old school camera aesthetic and first-person perspective slowly built tension, and I found myself immediately invested. Even when we returned to the Backrooms later in the film, certain scenes and environments were genuinely terrifying. However, towards the end, the entity lurking within the Backrooms was shown far too much for my liking. What initially felt like a creepy and unsettling paranormal presence gradually became a somewhat laughable gimmick, which unfortunately took away much of the fear and intrigue.

One of the film’s greatest strengths was its deeper emotional and psychological themes. Watching the mental struggles of the characters unfold added a compelling layer to the story. Both Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve were outstanding, delivering performances that became the most engaging aspect of the film for me. The ending, in particular, landed exceptionally well and ultimately proved to be the most horrifying part of the entire experience.

Overall, Backrooms will likely be remembered as one of the most exciting horror releases of the year. While it doesn’t fully live up to its immense potential, it remains a memorable and ambitious film that horror fans should seek out, even if it risks being overshadowed by the many other strong releases around it.