Backrooms

 

         Based on a series of YouTube shorts by director Kane Parsons, and now turned into a full length film, this is less of a conventional horror film and more of an unsettling, surreal experience. It can also be terrifying at times, unlocking a primal fear deep in our consciousness.

          When Clark, a furniture store owner, finds a doorway (in the basement of the store) to what appears to be another dimension and or reality, he steps into a seemingly endless maze of rooms. From that point on, we are watching Clark and others navigate this maze of rooms while they appear to being watched by others. It's an endless loop of a movie, even more surreal than the recent "Exit 8".

           The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark, Renate Reinsve as Dr. Mary Kline, Clark's therapist, and Lukita Maxwell ( of Apple TV's Shrinking) as Kat and Finn Bennett as Bobby, Clark's employees. Mark Duplass also co-stars as Phil.

           Mr. Ejiofor and Ms. Reinsve really sell the concept when they both become lost in the "backrooms".  It's an existential film with more questions than answers and while it can become frustrating, it is mesmerizing to watch with exceptional art and set design.