Dive Into the Original 'Backrooms' Before Heading to Theaters

The Backrooms is hitting multiplexes on May 29, bringing the internet's most iconic creepypasta to the big screen for the first time. But if you want to understand where it all started, the source material is readily available online.

Filmmaker Kane Parsons built a massive following on YouTube before A24 ever greenlit a feature adaptation. His viral videos transformed obscure internet lore into a found-footage horror phenomenon that captivated millions of viewers worldwide.

Where to find the original content

All of Kane Parsons' Backrooms videos live on his YouTube channel, Kane Pixels, completely free to watch. The series launched in January 2022 with "The Backrooms (Found Footage)," a short film that follows someone who tumbles into an endless labyrinth of unsettling yellow corridors and desolate rooms. That single upload went viral, racking up millions of views and spawning an expanding universe of content that deepened the mythology considerably.

Catching the theatrical release

The A24 film presents its own entry point to the world: "A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom."

The movie features Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve in the cast and is rolling out nationwide. Tickets are available through standard ticketing platforms, and the film is currently exclusive to theaters. Industry expectations suggest it may eventually land on HBO Max, though no official timeline has been announced yet.

Those wanting the full experience can sample Parsons' original work on YouTube first, then venture into theaters for the professional adaptation—or simply stick with the free videos that started it all.