*Editors Note: Hey folks! Apologies for a couple strange glitches for a few seconds at around the 31:00 and 52:30 marks (you'll here a repetition of a phrase several times from Nicole pulled from another part of the episode). Something strange happened with the editing software while processing and exporting.

In this episode of Film Curious, Ashley, Pete, and Nicole dissect the latest A24 psychological horror film, Backrooms, directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons and starring Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave).

We start off with the movie’s success at the box office and others of its kind, our initial impressions of the movie, and then onto a deep dive, spoiler discussion of what we felt was missing story wise (if anything, depends which of us you ask), its nailing of the 90s aesthetic, and our theories on the backrooms: what they are, how they work, and what they represent for different characters.

⚠️ We get into spoilers at 8:09! Available in theaters now 🎟️

⏱️Timestamps

00:00 Highlight Clip from Episode

00:47 Intro to the Episode & Film

02:40 The Success of the Movie & What’s Hollywood Going to Take Away from Its Success

03:51 How Original the Story Really Is & Issues with Its Storytelling

07:02 Arguments for What Was Working in the Film

08:09 Spoiler Discussion Begins⚠️

08:42 The Film’s Atmosphere & Aesthetic, Ability to Build Dread and Unease, & Bigger Messages

18:33 Debating Whether the Movie Was Overly Vague

20:22 Our Theories on the Backrooms, the Story Contradictions, & Understanding the Ending

31:52 The Parts of the Story That Didn’t Feel Fleshed Out Enough

40:09 Is a Rewatch Necessary? Will There Be Sequels to Backrooms?

47:25 Wrap Up | Getting Some AI Critique Vibes from the Movie & Final Thoughts

53:57 Outro - Thanks for Listening & Don’t Forget to Subscribe! 🔔

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Resources & References:

Variety Article | ‘Backrooms’ Becomes A24’s First Movie to Surpass $200 Million Globally, Overtaking ‘Marty Supreme’ as Studio’s Highest-Grossing Release

Kane Pixels | The Backrooms (Found Footage)

Marty Supreme (2025)

A24 Films

Obsession (2026)

Channel Zero (2016-2018)

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

The Worst Person in the World (2021)

Sentimental Value (2025)

I Love Boosters (2026)

Piranesi | Novel by Susanna Clarke