With its theatrical debut just around the corner, A24 has released the final trailer for its film adaptation of the viral internet horror phenomenon, "The Backrooms," pulling back the curtain on more of the mysteries awaiting audiences.
Notably, this new footage isn't just a standard pre-release promo; it appears to have direct links to director Kane Parsons' (also known as Kane Pixels) September 2024 short, "Backrooms - Found Footage #3."
For instance, the sun symbol seen in the trailer is a key icon that previously appeared in "Found Footage #3." Additionally, a suburban house located within the Backrooms space directly mirrors a setting from that same short film.
▼The sun symbol from "Found Footage #3" also appears in the new trailer
▼The eerie scene of a house located inside the liminal space
Furthermore, the score heard around the 0:12 mark in the trailer is the same background music used during the appearance of the entity known as "Still Life."
▼The trailer also seems to hint at the potential appearance of "Still Life" by showing the lights being turned off—a skill the entity learned in "Backrooms - Found Footage #3"
▼The entity "Still Life" as it appeared in "Backrooms - Found Footage #3"
These recurring visual and auditory elements have led many fans to speculate that the feature film will likely build upon the foundation set by "Backrooms - Found Footage #3," continuing the narrative threads of the Async experiments, spatial dislocations, and anomalous dimensional mimicry from the established video universe.
Related Reading:Your Pre-Release Guide to A24's 'The Backrooms': From 4chan Meme to the Big Screen—A Complete Breakdown of Kane Pixels' Liminal Universe
"The Backrooms" is adapted from the famous internet urban legend, with its story centered on a vast, empty, maze-like and infinitely stretching liminal space.
The original short, "The Backrooms (Found Footage)," was presented as recovered lost footage, following a young cameraperson who accidentally "no-clips" into another dimension and becomes lost in the eerie space. The short quickly went viral, making the young Kane Pixels one of the most talked-about names in the online horror community.
The big-screen version of "The Backrooms" differs slightly from the original short. The film's protagonist is now a therapist instead of a young filmmaker, with a cast led by "Doctor Strange" star Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve ("The Worst Person in the World").
"The Backrooms" recently held test screenings, with early reactions being largely positive, though full reviews are still under embargo. The film is projected to earn at least $20 million at the North American box office during its opening weekend. The movie is set to hit theaters in North America on May 29, 2026.