The new trailer for Backrooms suggests it may finally be the horror film that truly captures the essence of creepypasta.

      A24 has unveiled the final trailer for Backrooms, and if you haven't been paying attention to this project, now is the time to take notice. The film is set to hit theaters on May 29, and its origin story is truly one-of-a-kind among this year’s releases. It began as an anonymous photograph uploaded to a paranormal message board in 2019 and evolved into one of the internet’s most chilling urban legends.

      From a 4chan post to an A24 film

      A24 / A24

      In 2019, a user on 4chan’s paranormal board shared a photo of a large, vacant, yellow-lit carpeted room. It had an uncanny familiarity, provoking a sense of unease, which is precisely its intent. These areas are referred to as liminal spaces, with the Backrooms becoming the internet’s quintessential interpretation of the concept.

      The mythology is straightforward yet effective. If you unintentionally “no-clip” out of reality—a term borrowed from video games when characters pass through solid objects—you find yourself in an infinite network of yellow rooms, damp carpeting, and buzzing fluorescent lights, devoid of exits or logic.

      Kane Parsons

      From that single image, a whole subculture emerged across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and Roblox. Dan Erickson, the creator of Severance, has noted the Backrooms as an inspiration behind the successful Apple TV series.

      What the new Backrooms trailer reveals

      The latest Backrooms trailer significantly expands the universe. It includes the distinctive yellow rooms and fluorescent lights, which are essential, but it also introduces the Poolrooms, a fan-favorite addition featuring flooded, tiled areas with eerie, dreamlike illumination.

      The trailer indicates that multiple ordinary people venture into the Backrooms together for the first time, altering the dynamic from Parsons’ YouTube series. Additionally, there’s a brief, perplexing glimpse of a seagull that has somehow glitched into the scene, embodying the absurd and uncanny details that make the Backrooms lore so fascinating.

      Backrooms / A24

      The film follows a mysterious doorway that opens in the basement of a furniture showroom. When a patient of a therapist vanishes into a dimension beyond reality, she must chase after him.

      Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Life of Chuck, Doctor Strange) stars as Clark, the furniture store owner who first encounters the portal. Dr. Mary Kline, the therapist who goes in search of him, is portrayed by Renate Reinsve. The supporting cast features Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell (Shrinking), and Avan Jogia.

      Why horror enthusiasts should seriously consider this internet adaptation

      The Backrooms isn't the first internet urban legend to be adapted into a film. Slender Man received a cinematic version in 2018, which was largely deemed unsatisfactory. However, the Backrooms seems different, partly because the adapter has already demonstrated his ability to create something worthwhile on a limited budget without studio support.

      Kane Parsons A24

      The film is helmed by Kane Parsons, also known as Kane Pixels, who transformed a creepy online concept into one of YouTube’s most popular horror series.

      Critics who have seen early screenings have expressed enthusiasm, describing the film as “wholly unique and original” and “the best creepypasta adaptation to date.” Considering the film hasn’t even premiered yet, this is an impressive head start.