Why do we feel beckoned by ‘Backrooms?’

Published June 6, 2026 6:30am ET



For a horror movie derived from a concept as singularly contemporary as an internet myth, A24’s Backrooms is grounded in a mourning for lost things that could only be called conservative.

Like its foundational web-based myth — which, as far as I can tell from my position as one relatively estranged from internet subcultures, refers to the existence of a bewilderingly complex series of seemingly unused rooms adjacent to retail establishments — Backrooms summons fears of hidden places where few legitimate exits present themselves. Scary stuff, no?

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