'Backrooms' A Review

Backrooms is a horror/thriller about Clark(Chiwetel Ejiofor) who finds a portal to a seemingly infinite labyrinthine space in the basement of his furniture store.

After his just win for 12 Years A Slave Ejiofor has worked steadily but hasn't really been given his due as one of the best actors of his generation and that's showcased here. This is an odd film with little plot, more a vibe than a narrative, and he's the perfect actor to anchor it all with some humanity. He's emotive, reactive, and above all compellingly present. It's also just a nice bit of casting for the audiobook listeners as he is the(incredible) narrator for the exceptional liminal space novel Piranesi. The film somewhat faulters when the perspective changes from Clark to his therapist Mary(Renate Reinsve). Reinsve has talent, no question, but she's yet to demonstrate much range. The kind of fraught reserve she deploys here is the same we saw in Sentimental Value and Worst Person In The World. Her presence doesn't detract, it's effective enough, but she's unable to provide the same kind of focus Ejiofor does, channeling the genre elements through the human lens, and that the film needs to elevate it beyond an inspired conceit.

The production design is immaculate and inspired. The backrooms space, the seemingly endless corridors and furniture and rooms are an incredible place to explore, mostly(if not all) practical sets. It's marvelously transportive. On top of that the 90's esthetic and subtle but unceasing score really create this compelling mood with startling clarity. The production, in short, is a triumph.

The film somewhat stumbles when it comes to narrative but honestly this kind of film doesn't really even need much of it. There's a tension between simply enjoying and reveling in Ejiofor's Clark explore this creepy fascinating space and the need to tell some kind of cogent story. Clark's divorce, Mary's agoraphobic mother, what the backrooms ultimately work are explored but what's most interesting is the space itself and a compelling human(Ejiofor) navigating said space.

Ultimately the film soars over any plot concerns with its originality, sharp complex ascetics, and a superb Ejiofor.

Currently in theaters.

Don't Miss It.