A24's Backrooms Trailer Brings The Creepy Viral Phenomenon To Terrifying Life

A24 will soon plunge us all into a terrifying liminal space from which there's no escape, and we couldn't be more excited. A new trailer for "Backrooms," the movie based on the creepy, viral internet sensation, has arrived and it teases one of the most interesting horror films of 2026.

Thus far, "Backrooms" has remained almost as mysterious as the nightmarish realm itself. We know that Kane Parsons, the VFX animator responsible for the "Backrooms" webseries, is directing and that the film will star Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, and Mark Duplass, alongside relative newcomers Finn Bennett ("A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms") and Lukita Maxwell ("Shrinking"). The June 26, 2025 issue of Production Weekly also provided some insight with a brief synopsis for the film: "After her patient disappears into a strange dimension beyond reality a therapist is forced to brave the unknown in order to bring him back alive." The official A24 page for the movie contained an even shorter synopsis: "A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom."

Then, in February 2026, we got a better look at the upcoming horror when A24 released the first "Backrooms" teaser. As intriguing as that teaser was, it still didn't reveal too much about what we can expect in terms of story — a smart move on A24's part which seemingly confirms the studio is following the example set by Neon's "Longlegs" and its genius marketing campaign. Now, the first full trailer for the film has arrived, and it should have you eager to noclip into A24's liminal space.

As far as trailers go, this is highly effective. Of course, the folks at A24 have a knack for putting out eye-catching trailers, especially for their horror films. But if you're a sucker for liminal-space horror and cursed retro vibes, as I am, you'll eat this up. We catch a glimpse of a story here: Chiwetel Ejiofor is a man who stumbles into a seemingly impossible place, and Renate Reinsve seems to be playing his skeptical therapist. 

Beyond that, this trailer is big on ominous vibes. The spaces glimpsed here aren't inherently scary, and yet their stark emptiness creates a genuinely unnerving vibe that hits you on an almost primal level. Something is wrong here. On top of that, certain moments glimpsed here reminded me of Mark Z. Danielewski's cult classic horror novel "House of Leaves." A film adaptation of that book has long seemed utterly impossible, so this might be the next best thing.

"Backrooms" opens in theaters on May 29, 2026.