Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor is stepping into a new kind of nightmare with A24’s upcoming horror-thriller, Backrooms. Based on the viral “liminal space” creepypasta and YouTube series, the film is set to hit theaters on May 29.
Ejiofor stars as Clark, a furniture store owner who finds himself transported into a logic-defying, otherworldly dimension hidden within his own basement. He is joined by an impressive ensemble cast, including Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World) as his therapist, along with Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell.
The film marks the feature directorial debut of 20-year-old Kane Parsons, who originally created the viral found-footage series that racked up over 200 million views. Produced by horror titans James Wan (Atomic Monster) and Shawn Levy (21 Laps), the project has been described as a “horror puzzle” that relies on atmosphere and disturbing imagery rather than traditional jump scares.
Speaking at a recent premiere event, Ejiofor expressed high praise for Parsons’ deep understanding of the world he created. Despite the director’s young age, Ejiofor noted that Parsons possessed an extraordinary level of detail and communication skills on set.
“It’s a real privilege to be on a set with somebody who is probably the only person on the planet who could direct the movie or who would know how to,” Ejiofor shared in a video posted by Discussing Film. “It wouldn’t have mattered how old he was, really. I mean, he sort of had the information and was able to communicate that.”
Ejiofor also discussed Parsons’ ability to remain organic and collaborative under the intense pressure of a major studio production.
“I was really impressed as well that Cain was able to… have flexibility, to embrace other thoughts, new ideas, just to roll with it and to really create something organically and in community.”
With a runtime of 105 minutes and an “M” classification, Backrooms is already generating massive buzz, with early box office predictions suggesting it could open to upwards of $20 million.
Backrooms opens nationwide on May 29.
