Let's get this straight: director Kane Parsons wishes people would stop trying to get the Backrooms ending explained. Instead, the mind behind A24's latest horror movie would like to maintain an air of mystery and let people arrive at their own conclusions. “I want a chance for people to go through [the movie] in an untainted way," he explained in a recent interview with Esquire. "I’ve had people take a couple things from it, and I have not decided if it’s best to dictate verbally what that thing is. It’s a classic case of, ‘What do you think it meant?’”
That's all well and good. But we know you want – no, need – answers. The film is undoubtedly one of the summer's most-talked about releases and, as such, speculation around the ending is running wild. Based on creepypasta folklore (yes, really), Backrooms turns a seemingly nondescript furniture store into the site of disturbing, psychological horrors. This all happens when the store's owner, Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), discovers a mysterious labyrinth of liminal spaces in its basement. He quickly becomes obsessed with figuring out their purpose, mapping their endless sprawl and the bizarre objects he finds within. Turns out, there's more than a few random bits of junk lurking behind their walls…
Just left the cinema with even more questions? We're here to help you out. Warning: spoilers ahead.
What are the “backrooms”?
As we mentioned, the titular backrooms started life as an online phenomenon, when a eerie photo of an empty HobbyTown store captured the imaginations of creepypasta fans. One such fan was Parsons, who proceeded to make a 20-part series of YouTube shorts based on the concept, which eventually went on to form the basis of his new feature-length film.
The backrooms themselves are elusive and hard to explain – even in the film. They seem to exist in another dimension and, as Clark soon realises, feed off the memories and traumas of anyone who enters them. The more time you spend in them, the more reality becomes distorted. Oh, and did we mention that there are monsters roaming around too? And that basically no one makes it out alive? Don't let the monotony of these bland backrooms fool you. They're one of the most hellish horror settings we've seen on screen for a long time.
What does the ending mean?
It's complicated. When Clark discovers the backrooms, he becomes determined to figure out their purpose, roping in his employees to help him. When they die on the job, he decides to stay in the backrooms and wallows in his despair. Luckily, his therapist, Mary, senses something is wrong when she receives a phone call from him informing her he won't be returning. She goes to the store to look for him and, yep, ends up in the backrooms.
But the Clark she finds is a changed man, so deranged that he attacks and captures her, then attempts to continue their therapy sessions in creepy dining room space surrounded by humanoid replicas of the backrooms' past victims. Eventually, Mary manages to convince Clark to let her go, but that triggers the appearance of a new monster: a terrifying version of Clark that then kills him.
Mary manages to escape – though not of her own accord. While attempting to flee, she sprains her ankle and is knocked out by a strange gas, which we learn was deployed by a group of Async scientists. These scientists, it turns out, used to develop MRI machines, but pivoted their entire business strategy to study the backrooms. They take Mary back to their lab, along with Clark's replica monster, and fill her in on their mission.
Before the film ends, the cameras take us to the backrooms once more, where we see that Mary's memories become embedded in their structure, from her childhood bedroom to the Async interrogation room she now finds herself in. Even though she made it out, it seems like the backrooms will forever hold parts of her psyche – and a replica of Mary has already made itself at home.
Still thinking, “Huh?” Nows the time to get a bit metaphorical. If you're looking for logical answers here, you're unlikely to find them. Parson's own reluctance to explain the ending makes it clear that it's open to interpretation. He's clarified that it's definitely not a dream, but other than that, he wants you to come to your own conclusions. “I could tell you exactly what it means to me and what it was meant to be,” he says, "but I don’t want that information being out as fact.”
For what its worth, our instinct is that the backrooms represent how people can become trapped in their own minds, spiralling around memories and trauma, even when it hurts. No matter how hard you try to make sense of the pain, there's always another layer – or room – to unpack. But we're just guessing, of course. It's up to you to make your own mind up.
