Some of the best horror premises come from simple ideas that many of us had, but never got to experience in any other way than transient whispers passing through our mind. Backroom is a film that has a rich background in internet cinematography and small-scale digital creative ventures, but below all of that, it hinges on a straightforward concept, asking us what if our walls don't actually divide anything. Instead, in this fantastic horror, they're more of a suggestion or a warning than actual physical barriers that can (or should) really stop anyone.
That's what the main character, Clark, played by the amazing Chiwetel Ejiofor, quickly learns. As he descends into the wondrous nightmare below his semi-failing furniture store, Clark is also beginning to explore his own soul, not knowing that demons reside there. The same process has all of the qualities of myth-building, similar to films like It Follows or other seminal horror films. The Backroom mythos exist already, but this movie put those on a much faster trajectory that is already making strong ripples in the wider pop culture.
At the same time, the brilliance of the film's creator, Kane Parsons, lies in the story's dream-like and constantly expanding space. Just like the works of James Wan - for example, the first Conjuring - Parsons is more interested in venturing into dreams and nightmares than only giving us frights and scares. That's why I thoroughly enjoyed Backroom and I'm pretty sure that anyone else who's interested in the world that lies beyond our one will do so too.
