Negative Spaces, Pt. 2 — Backrooms

The Next Picture Show dives deep into Kane Parsons' viral horror phenomenon Backrooms, a film that transcends its YouTube origins to become a cultural touchstone. Unlike typical genre entries, Backrooms isn't just a jump-scare machine—it's a meticulously crafted liminal space where sterile, monochromatic corridors and oppressive fluorescent lighting become psychological landscapes reflecting trauma, alienation, and the erosion of meaning in the digital age. The hosts debate whether the film's power lies in its eerie atmosphere, its emotional resonance through Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renata Reinsieve's performances, or its symbolic depth as a meditation on AI-generated content and the loss of originality. They trace its lineage to Phantasm, noting how both films use isolated, dreamlike spaces to explore broken families and personal collapse, while also highlighting a generational shift: young creators like Parsons, who rose from internet obscurity to direct a box-office hit, are redefining studio filmmaking. The episode culminates in a haunting reflection on what happens when a film becomes too successful—when its mystery is dissected, its lore expanded, and its creators are forced to explain the very thing that made it feel so real. The discussion reveals that Backrooms isn't just a movie—it's a symptom of a larger cultural moment.