Hollywood outsider unlocks horror's darkest corners: backrooms director on dreams, algorithms, and parasitic buildings
Last winter, Kane Parsons felt like his heart was ripped out of his body. It happened during a visit back home in Petaluma, California – a deceptively idyllic Bay Area suburb – a place he described as perpetually smelling of cows. But amidst the rolling hills and Main Street charm, a devastating loss unfolded: his mother removed their rotting backyard gazebo, a structure he deeply cherished.
From youtube glitch to cinematic nightmare
Parsons, now 20 and a rising star in Hollywood, isn’t your typical industry newcomer. Raised on a diet of video games, anime, and the boundless creativity of YouTube, he’s a digital native who’s fundamentally reshaped the horror landscape. His directorial debut, Backrooms, a claustrophobic thriller from A24, taps into a potent online folklore, and it's a testament to his singular vision.
“I got access to the Internet around eight or nine,” Parsons recalls, “and I was constantly consuming. I watched short films, and I was curious about the people who made them – a lot of independent filmmakers emphasizing the behind-the-scenes process. That shaped me, undeniably.”
His fascination with the unsettling began early, fueled by recurring nightmares centered around the sinister laboratory of Aperture Science from Portal and the cryptic, schizophrenic voice of Doug Rattmann. “There’s this wall where you can hear his voice,” Parsons says, still visibly affected, “You don’t know if he’s dead or alive. It’s a faint Easter egg. That sound file would send me into a cold sweat.”
Backrooms, adapted from the internet mythos and Parsons’s own DIY YouTube series, isn’t just a horror film; it’s a reflection of his unique perspective. The film’s setting – a morphing maze of unsettling plaster and wallpaper – feels disturbingly familiar, a product of obsessive online exploration and a deep, almost unsettling, engagement with digital spaces.
“It would have been the week it was a meme,” Parsons muses. “People latch onto these things, and they evolve. It’s like a collective nightmare, constantly shifting and adapting.”
But the film’s success is more than just a viral trend. Parsons’s meticulous approach, honed through years of self-directed projects, has earned him the respect of industry veterans. “I can make borderline photoreal stuff in an afternoon,” he admits, “It's like magic.”
“There’s a lot more with Backrooms that I’m very optimistic we’ll get to explore,” Parsons says. “There’s absolutely more in the chamber and that’s always been the plan. This film's a good foot in the door with general audiences.”
Despite his rapid ascent, Parsons remains grounded, acutely aware of the pressures of Hollywood. “I’m used to storytelling that is so online, where people are particular about details,” he notes.