Horror
Mystery
Science Fiction
See how far it goes.
Backrooms (2026)
Runtime
111 min
Release date
27/05/2026
Country
United States of America, Canada
Production
Atomic Monster
21 Laps Entertainment
A24
Phobos
The North Road Company
Overview
A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.
Directors & Screenwriters
Kane Parsons
Director
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Cast
Chiwetel Ejiofor
as
Clark
Renate Reinsve
as
Mary
Finn Bennett
as
Bobby
Lukita Maxwell
as
Kat
Mark Duplass
as
Phil
Avan Jogia
as
Naren Warne
Robert Bobroczkyi
as
Pirate Clark
Ember Ambrose
as
Young Mary
Krista Kosonen
as
Nora
Philip Granger
as
Meterman
Katharine Isabelle
as
Robin
Peter New
as
Big Wayne
Sarah Hayward
as
Nurse
Natalie Moon
as
Phil's Wife
Calix Fraser
as
Phil's Child
Sawyer Fraser
as
Phil's Child
Patrick Baynham
as
Bearded Still Life
Rhiannon Roberts
as
Redheaded Still Life
Dana Mahmood
as
Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life
Matthew Patrick Savage
as
Homeless Man
Ramona Kim
as
Party Attendant Mother
Milana Wan
as
Party Attendant Daughter
Kelly Craig
as
Barbara
Mel Kostas
as
Rival Customer
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All trailers
Horror
Mystery
Science Fiction
Backrooms
Official Promo
Video: YouTube
Duration: 00:16
Duration: 00:16
Horror
Mystery
Science Fiction
Backrooms
Official Promo
Video: YouTube
Duration: 01:07
Duration: 01:07
Horror
Mystery
Science Fiction
Backrooms
Official Trailer
Video: YouTube
Duration: 02:18
Duration: 02:18
Horror
Mystery
Science Fiction
Backrooms
Official Teaser
Video: YouTube
Duration: 01:01
Duration: 01:01
Did You Know?
From a $10 million indie horror to a $394 million global smash, Backrooms is finally streaming on HBO Max.
Backrooms has shattered expectations, pulling in $394 million worldwide and becoming A24’s highest‑grossing film ever—outpacing even Oscar‑nominated Marty Supreme. The low‑budget horror, produced for under $10 million, earned an 87% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, proving that a creator‑driven vision can stand toe‑to‑toe with blockbuster franchises.
The film expands the viral YouTube series that made Kane Parsons a household name among horror fans. It follows a beleaguered furniture store owner, Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who uncovers a portal to an endless maze of liminal spaces beneath his shop. When he disappears, his therapist Mary (Renate Reinsve) ventures into the unsettling Backrooms to rescue him, navigating twisted corridors that warp reality itself. Supporting performances from Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell round out the psychological thriller, scripted by Will Soodik.
After a theatrical run that defied every forecast, Backrooms will debut on HBO Max on September 25, just four months after its cinema launch. The streaming release promises to broaden its audience even further, cementing the movie’s status as one of the year’s most remarkable horror success stories and a testament to the power of online creators reshaping the genre.
Backrooms 2 is gearing up with its original creator at the helm—A24 may be about to unleash the sequel to the $400 million internet‑origin horror hit.
Kane Parsons, the YouTube‑born auteur who turned the viral “no‑clip” myth into the 2026 blockbuster Backrooms, is reportedly set to direct its long‑awaited sequel for A24. While the studio hasn’t issued a formal announcement, Dread Central says Parsons has officially signed on, hinting that the next chapter will finally tackle the dangling threads left by the first film—namely the fate of Mary (Renate Reinsve), the enigmatic Async phenomenon, and the ever‑expanding maze of hidden entrances.
The original Backrooms was a shoestring $10 million production that exploded into a global box‑office juggernaut, pulling in roughly $394 million worldwide. Its success proved that a concept born from a simple video‑game glitch and a sprawling internet meme could translate into mainstream horror gold. Parsons has long described the first movie as merely a “doorway” into the deeper mythology he’s been building since his zero‑budget YouTube shorts.
Parsons says he wants the sequel to remain “accessible” while still serving as a true entry point for newcomers, a delicate balance given the lack of a single canonical angle on the Backrooms lore. Fans can expect the sequel to weave together the fragmented narrative strands while preserving the unsettling, labyrinthine atmosphere that made the original a cultural phenomenon.
Until an official press release lands, the news should be taken with a grain of salt—but if the reports hold true, Backrooms 2 could cement the franchise’s place as one of the most lucrative horror adaptations of internet culture, and A24’s involvement suggests a stylistic upgrade that could push the series even further into the mainstream.
Unlock the hidden YouTube vault that birthed A24’s Backrooms horror
Kane Parsons didn’t start with a studio budget – he was a teen tinkering with Blender, sound design, and cryptic visual fragments on his own channel. Those early uploads are less a linear story than a series of mood‑laden “digital remnants” that hint at a larger mystery. While most end mid‑scene, watching them all lets you trace the first flickers of a narrative that eventually grew into the feature film A24 pursued.
For newcomers and fans of the movie, five videos act as the essential gateway. The nine‑minute viral hit “The Backrooms (Found Footage)” remains the clearest self‑contained tale of a teenager stumbling into the liminal space. “The Third Test” offers a two‑minute glimpse of the Async Research Institute’s first reality‑breaching experiment, echoing the 4chan “noclip” origin of the creepypasta. “Pitfalls” introduces cameraman Marvin Leigh’s accidental fall into a grid‑lined lower level, a moment that seeds his later appearances in “Report,” “Reunion,” and “Static Dead End.”
The eight‑minute “Informational Video” doubles as an Async orientation, blending safety briefings with a first‑person panic as researcher Peter Tench glitches out of sync. Its abrupt ending foreshadows his story’s continuation in “Presentation,” “Damage Control,” and the other follow‑ups. Finally, “Presentation” stands out with a darkly comic tone, using ’90s‑style graphics to outline Async’s absurd plans for repurposing the Backrooms as storage, shipping shortcuts, offices, and even apartments—providing the most direct bridge from the film’s threat to the series’ tongue‑in‑cheek world‑building.
Together, these clips map the evolution from teenage experiments to a cohesive, if still unfinished, mythos. They let you piece together the beginnings of a story that the movie only scratches, offering the deepest dive into the unsettling universe that has captured horror fans worldwide.
A24’s horror juggernaut ‘Backrooms’ finally streams on HBO Max – here’s how to dive in
The viral nightmare that turned a YouTube creepypasta into a $400 million worldwide phenomenon lands on HBO Max this Friday, Sept. 25, with a linear debut the following night at 8 p.m. ET. The 20‑year‑old director Kane Parsons’ debut not only shattered A24’s box‑office records – it became the studio’s biggest hit ever and one of 2026’s top horror earners – but now it’s ready for binge‑watchers.
If you’re hunting a free way to stream, DIRECTV’s five‑day trial is the shortcut. Sign up, add HBO Max to the Entertainment, Choice or Ultimate package, and after the trial you’ll unlock three extra months of HBO Max at no charge. When the promotion ends, the service reverts to the standard $18.49 monthly fee, but you can cancel anytime. For those who prefer a straightforward subscription, HBO Max starts at $10.99 per month (ad‑supported), while bundle options like Philo’s Bundle+ or the Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max combo offer additional channels for $33‑$34.99.
The film follows Clark (Oscar‑nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor), a struggling furniture store owner who stumbles upon a hidden doorway that leads to the endless, yellow‑hued maze known as the Backrooms. Trapped in the surreal labyrinth, his therapist Mary (Renate Reinsve of “The Worst Person in the World”) ventures inside to rescue him, uncovering increasingly bizarre entities and secrets along the way. The supporting cast rounds out the mystery with Mark Duplass, Lukita Maxwell, Finn Bennett, Avan Jogia, Robert Bobroczkyi and Krista Kosonen.
Backrooms didn’t just break A24’s opening‑weekend record with an $81 million domestic debut; it also made Parsons the youngest filmmaker to top both domestic and global box‑office charts. With its eerie premise, star‑studded talent, and now a streaming home, the film is poised to keep horror fans buzzing long after the credits roll.
Kane Parsons turns a 4chan meme into a $100‑million horror phenomenon
Director‑prodigy Kane Parsons, only 21 when “Backrooms” hit theaters, turned a ten‑million‑dollar debut into a box‑office juggernaut that has already raked in hundreds of millions. The film grew out of his 2022 YouTube series, itself inspired by a creepy 4chan photo of an endless yellow‑wallroom, and it taps into the sprawling internet lore that turned the image into a modern myth.
The story follows former architect‑turned‑furniture salesman Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his therapist Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve) as they tumble through a hidden portal beneath a discount‑furniture store into a nightmarish labyrinth of identical, mustard‑hued rooms. The horror isn’t in jump‑scares but in the uncanny normalcy gone wrong—walls that sprout furniture, broken pieces that seem to glitch, and shifting entities that prey on the characters’ deepest memories. The endless, musty corridors become a psychological mirror, warping around whatever fears the wanderers bring with them.
Parsons lets the tension breathe, spending time on Clark’s career failures and crumbling marriage, and on Mary’s haunted past, before the terror fully erupts. Their backstories aren’t mere exposition; they fuel the maze’s relentless distortion, turning the setting into a test of identity and redemption. The result is a horror film that feels both deeply personal and terrifyingly universal, delivering a fresh, mind‑bending experience that’s as much about confronting one’s own psyche as escaping an impossible maze.
From viral creepypasta to streaming champion: Backrooms dominates both theater and HBO Max
Backrooms burst onto the 2026 horror scene as A24’s biggest theatrical hit of the year, shattering box‑office expectations and setting new records for the indie studio. Its unsettling premise and clever marketing turned what began as a niche internet legend into a mainstream must‑see.
Just days after its September 25 debut on HBO Max, the film rocketed to the number‑one spot on the platform’s U.S. movie chart, proving the buzz wasn’t limited to the big screen. The rapid climb highlights how quickly audiences are gravitating toward the film’s eerie, maze‑like atmosphere.
Directed by Kane Parsons—who first introduced the concept through his viral YouTube series—the movie expands the original creepypasta’s endless liminal spaces into a full‑blown cinematic nightmare. Lead performances from Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor anchor the story, bringing depth to a world that feels both familiar and disorientingly alien.
Backrooms’ dual success in theaters and streaming underscores a growing appetite for horror that blurs the line between internet folklore and polished cinema, cementing its place as one of 2026’s most talked‑about genre entries.
From YouTube creepypasta to streaming champion: Backrooms tops HBO Max in days
A24’s horror breakout Backrooms vaulted to the No. 1 spot on HBO Max’s U.S. movie chart within days of its September 25, 2026 streaming debut. The rapid climb follows a theatrical run that shattered expectations and set new box‑office records for the indie studio, cementing the film as one of 2026’s biggest horror successes.
Directed by Kane Parsons and starring Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor, the movie expands the unsettling world of endless liminal spaces that first captivated fans on Parsons’ viral YouTube series. By translating a creepypasta into a full‑length narrative, Backrooms tapped a dedicated online following while delivering the atmospheric dread that mainstream audiences crave.
The film’s commercial triumph is a testament to its unique premise and A24’s distinctive genre approach. Its record‑breaking theatrical performance paved the way for a streaming surge, proving that viewers are still eager to get lost behind its creepy walls even after the cinema lights went out.
Backrooms’ success highlights a growing appetite for horror that blurs the line between internet myth and blockbuster cinema, positioning the title as a standout entry in the genre’s 2026 legacy.
HBO Max’s eerie mash‑up proves ‘Backrooms’ is the horror hit of the year
HBO Max’s latest promo teases the uncanny by slipping iconic HBO series—The Sopranos, True Detective and Lanterns—into the endless, yellow‑tinted corridors of the Backrooms. The teaser, captioned “Took a wrong turn” and already racking up a million views, underscores how the A24 film has become the platform’s No. 1 title in the United States.
The film’s meteoric rise is rooted in creator Kane Parsons’s teenage obsession with the 2007 creepypasta. Parsons first imagined the Backrooms at 16 and turned the concept into a YouTube series before making his feature debut at 20. The low‑budget ($10 million) horror now sits at $402.5 million worldwide, shattering A24’s previous records and overtaking Marty Supreme after just two theatrical weekends.
Backrooms opened to $81.5 million domestically and $118 million globally, earning the second‑highest‑grossing horror slot of 2026 and the fifth‑highest‑grossing independent film ever. Critics have been warm—Metacritic scores it 76/100—while audiences gave it a solid B‑ on CinemaScore. The buzz doesn’t stop at streaming; Parsons has confirmed a sequel is in development and is eyeing a television series set within the same unsettling universe.
Kane Parsons vows to keep the Backrooms horror fresh — and finite — as he maps out the franchise’s next twisty turn.
At just twenty‑one, director Kane Parsons is already steering the Backrooms franchise with a veteran’s caution. While the original film rode a wave of internet‑fueled hype, Parsons insists he won’t rush sequels or stretch the story beyond its natural limits. He says the series will end only when the creators feel they’ve said everything that needs to be said, protecting the narrative from becoming a mere cash‑grab.
Parsons admits the first movie missed some of the cultural core that made the online concept so eerie, and he plans to revisit those gaps in future installments. Rather than mimicking the brief glimpses offered by the YouTube series, his upcoming films will dive deeper into the sprawling mythology, exploring the “stranger and less concrete” aspects that set the Backrooms apart from typical horror fare.
Fans can expect the sequel to veer away from a straight‑line plot. Parsons hints at new, exciting characters lurking in the shadows, but he refuses to reveal specifics, promising instead that each new entry will branch off the narrative tree in its own direction. By keeping most story ideas secret and focusing on artistic integrity over endless commercial exploitation, he aims to deliver distinct, immersive experiences that feel both fresh and inevitable.
Ultimately, the director envisions a culminating point where all prior elements converge, delivering a final narrative payoff that leaves no room for further continuation. If he sticks to that plan, the Backrooms could exit the screen on his own terms, preserving its mystique for years to come.