Backrooms (web series)

Backrooms (web series)

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Backrooms
Genre	Found footage Analogue horror Science fiction
Format	Web series
Created by	Kane Parsons
Theme music composer	Kane Parsons
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
Broadcast
Original channel	YouTube
Picture format	Ultra Low Definition

Backrooms is an American web series by Kane Parsons (no relation to Sheldon Cooper), released on YouTube. The series is based on, and shares its name with the creepypasta of The Backrooms: a place of liminal spaces for the ignorant morons that don't know about the existence of liminal spaces, but they somehow know about the Backrooms even though The Backrooms is an analogue horror about liminal spaces. In reality, however, The Backrooms is a store in Wisconsin with the most disgusting, god awful, yellow wallpaper found in the darkest corner of your nearest One Pound Store.

Background

The Backrooms creepypasta originated from a 4chan post that read;

"If you're a klutz and trip on oxygen, you will magically fall through the floor! You'll end up in the Backrooms, where it's nothing but the shitty yellow wallpaper and fluorescent lights magically powered by nothing, and approximately six hundred million square miles of randomly segmented empty rooms to be trapped in."

This then became the basis of one of the most overused, unfunny internet culture memes of the 2020s. Spanning bad memes, even worse video games where you need to escape The Backrooms while being chased by an eight foot tall siren post or entity.png, and bad animation videos made on a computer still on Windows 9 using Movie Maker about some garbage like; "What happens if your mom enters the backrooms?"

Premise

The series is an anthology, where each episode comprises of people running around a nine hundred square kilometre maze that is made of liminal spaces and architectural flops. Backrooms is set place in the 1990s, mainly to fit into the limited technology of the analogue horror trope, but in reality is just because the creator can hide their bad VFX in it. To further "enhance" the found footage effect, Kane decided to not put the videos in order for some unexplainable reason.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Found Footage"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	January 7, 2022  (2022 -01-07)
In 1991, while filming, a cameraman trips and falls into the ground, finding himself in the Backrooms. While examining a wall with strange symbols, he hears a distorted screeching sound behind him and turns to see a black stringy mess (the creator couldn’t be bothered coming up with something more original) that begins to run at him for existing. Instead of ditching the camera to run faster like a normal person, he records like your average YouTuber and keeps pointing the camera at the bacteria for the views. The cameraman escapes to a lower floor, seeing various architectural failures that were probably made by someone high on magic shrooms before being led back up. Shortly after the bacteria purses him yet again. He hides from the entity in a narrow wall leading to a steep slope, at which point the creature charges at him, grabbing him and causing him to drop his camera down the chute, which phases back into reality and falls from the sky in 1996.
2	"Mar_11_90_ARCHIVE.tar"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	January 8, 2022  (2022 -01-08)
An opened .tar archive displays images of the Backrooms and personnel. The creator probably made this when they were lazy. A very low effort video.
3	"The Third Test"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	January 13, 2022  (2022 -01-13)
On July 2, 1988, the Async Research Institute conducts the third test of their doorway to the Backrooms. Then someone using a corndog as a microphone explains that in April of that year, a press conference was held where the vice director of Async, Ivan Beck, stated the goal of the project was to use the Backrooms as a place to cram all your belongings inside.
4	"First Contact"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	January 17, 2022  (2022 -01-17)
Async performs their 6th test to their doorway to the Backrooms and opens a gateway. This event also happened at the same time as an Earthquake which is a shameful attempt to create fear.
5	"Missing Persons"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	January 28, 2022  (2022 -01-28)
Missing person cases begin to skyrocket shortly after the opening of the door to the Backrooms. While on a routine expedition, several Async employees randomly discover a dead body sitting against a wall covered in a black mold-like growth.
6	"Autopsy Report"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	February 23, 2022  (2022 -02-23)
An autopsy is conducted on the body found in "Missing Persons". The medical examiner determines that growth is a malignant form of some random disease no one cares about. The examiner asks some nerd where the body came from. Since the animator was too lazy to remember where he came from the scene then suddenly cuts to a TV that flashes through numerous images before settling on the Threshold, with the sun overlayed on top. This scene is horrible because it breaks away from the found footage theme by showing an edited video instead of just the raw footage.
7	"Informational Video"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	February 12, 2022  (2022 -02-12)
On February 29, 1990, Async employee Peter Tench gets separated from his expedition group while investigating strange noises. After seeing his group vanish in front of him (maybe he hallucinating), Peter begins desperately searching for them, but he finds a dark, small room that features the classic liminal space of repeating houses in a suburban neighbourhood. He finds his way back to the entrance only to find an observation room that was absent when he initially entered. He accesses the room, sounding an alarm in the process.
8	"Motion Detected"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	March 11, 2022  (2022 -03-11)
In 1990, Async sets up motion-activated cameras in the Complex to see if any black monsters start throwing chairs or something. A compilation video is made from all available recordings. The first clips are for making the viewer wait, featuring employees passing between pillars, the doorway barrier closing, and a crappy microphone bought off of wish.com. The final recording catches a dark mess peering from behind a distant wall. Since the creator yet again is being lazy they don’t even bother showing what it is and try to make it “scary.”
9	"Prototype"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	March 28, 2022  (2022 -03-28)
In 1982, Async tests a prototype of the "Low-Proximity Magnetic Distortion System" (some scientific mumbo jumbo no one can explain) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A metallic ball is already present in the machine as it is activated, which during the test does not disappear, although hard to see because the creator couldn't be bothered to let the viewers see what the hell was going on.
10	"Pitfalls"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	May 1, 2022  (2022 -05-01)
While on a routine expedition in the Backrooms, Async researchers discover a weired room (later referred to as "Room 14D") containing deep rectangular pits almost like they were made so someone would fall in for no reason. Some nerd offers to cross over to open the door on the other side. After crossing, he opens the door when he begins to urgently tell the cameraman to cross over and record what he sees. The camera man reluctantly begins crossing. Then suddenly he "acidentally" (the animation makes it seem like he jumped in there voluntary.) trips and falls into one of the pits. This is proably because the animator could not be bothered to show what was in there. While examining his new surroundings, the cameraman hears distant screams. He advances towards the source of the sound, leading him to the average liminal space houses that appears to be set at night. Entering a house, he discovers that the source of the sound was not a person, but another black stringy mess that begins to pursue him for breathing.
11	"Report"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	May 20, 2022  (2022 -05-20)
Higher-ups at Async review the footage recorded by the cameraman in "Pitfalls". They are shocked by the existence of hostile life in the Complex. So they seal off access to the portion of the Complex that leads to Room 14D and we never know what was behind that door because of the animator being lazy.
12	"9780415263573 (The Yellow Wallpaper)"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	May 20, 2022  (2022 -05-20)
It apears the animator had a stroke when typing numbers and made this random string if numbers for the title. The video is just black and white footage of a car no-clipping into the backrooms.
13	"Presentation"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	June 25, 2022  (2022 -06-25)
Async proposes plans for commercialization of the Backrooms. They want to use the backrooms for storage and housing because what sounds better than living in hell with yellow wallpaper. On May 8, 1990, a meeting with the head of the Department of Energy is abruptly interrupted when a distressed worker, revealed to have randomly traveled forward in time, finds his way back to the observation outpost.
14	"_recording014"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	December 8, 2022  (2022 -12-08)
Over a phone call, a some person at Async questions people, who had been recovered from the Backrooms following "Presentation".
15	"Found Footage #2"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	August 21, 2022  (2022 -08-21)
An unnamed woman discovers an area of her garage floor in which objects no-clip through. After using a tape measure to measure how deep the phasing goes. Then the room starts to shake for no reason and she is sucked into the Backrooms. In the Backrooms , she discovers crappy architecture, crappy furniture, and large open spaces in states of disrepair. Eventually, she stumbles upon a car that phased into the Backrooms before crashing into a wall. She is led to a house with a room full of dark plant-like growth. Another black stringy mess then emerges from the growth and begins to chase her for existing. She is eventually cornered in a room before glowing green cracks form in the walls around her. The animator was so lazy and can’t be bothered to show what happens next and the footage then abruptly cuts, revealing it was being watched on a television set.
16	"home_27647.mov"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	August 22, 2022  (2022 -08-22)
When creating this the create decided he was going to make something dumb to spoof people that watch the Backrooms into thinking this one video is extremely important to the LORE. The video has a compilation of inconspicuous VHS recordings and pictures are shown before attention is given to a painting in the background of one of the photos.
17	"Reunion"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	December 8, 2022  (2022 -12-08)
On some day in 1990, Async reopens access to pitfalls. After being deemed safe to enter for what ever reason, numerous researchers go to the room and begin to cover the pits. Meanwhile, three researchers, including Marvin Leigh and Mark Blume (who is now armed with a shotgun), are sent out to assess the room leading to room 14D, which is far larger and mostly unlit. The three are then suddenly ambushed by a man for no reason who Marvin recognizes to be Peter Tench. Peter, holding the team at gunpoint, reveals that Async faked his death because they didn’t want to fill out paperwork or something, lamenting that his family thinks he is dead. Mark requests armed assistance from the team in the other room, before being shot by Peter for breathing.
18	"Overflow"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	December 24, 2022  (2022 -12-24)
In this short lazy film a machine system experiences a power overload. A green glow gradually fills an office room. Attention is given to some paper clipped to a bulletin board, which displays the signature of Ivan Beck probably to spoof nerds trying to decipher the lore of the Backrooms.
19	"Damage Control"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	January 30, 2023  (2023 -01-30)
After shooting Mark Blume, Tench flees and exits the premises of the Backrooms. The next day, Async holds a meeting where they talk about the events that happened the day prior. It is confirmed that after Tench went missing in the Complex, Async faked his death to avoid paperwork. After he was found alive, they kept him in the facility while they worked to revive him. However, Tench, in a declining mental state, snuck back into the Backrooms where he would be found by Mark's group. It is revealed that after escaping the facility grounds, Tench was found dead, seemingly from falling and hitting his head on rock in comical fashion. The video ends with brief flashing images to give the viewer a seizure and a phone ringing in an empty room.
20	"Found Footage #3"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	September 13, 2024  (2024 -09-13)
A man, Ravi, falls into the Backrooms after investigating a noise coming from his basement. Ravi navigates the labyrinth network of rooms and halls until finding himself in a dark room where another black stringy mess called creature begins to pursue him for existing. Ravi runs, crossing a skywalk that overlooks a red-lit city before continuing further into the Backrooms. He uses a radio transmitter to call for help when, after investigating radio chatter, a humanoid figure darts towards him; Ravi barely escapes. Several hours later, Ravi discovers a house placed in the middle of a large room. Inside, he hears a man speaking on the other side of a wall. Both try to look for each other when they realize that neither can see the other. Maybe because the animator could not be bothered to model a human. The man reluctantly agrees to help Ravi and begins destroying property when a loud rushing noise enters and violently shakes the room as the man is heard yelling. Everything then goes quiet, with Ravi losing contact with the man. Some random amount of time later, a defeated Ravi talks to the dying camera, stating he has forgotten what the sky looks like.
21	"Lighting and Tile Survey"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	October 2, 2024  (2024 -10-02)
On November 14, 1989, Async employees commit the crime of vandalism by remove a ceiling tile and a fluorescent light from the Complex, with several noting the apparent absence of an external power supply to the light. The following day, Dr. Julia Meisner reports the preliminary results of the analysis, the only notable findings thereof being the weird proportions of both the tiles and bulbs. Markings on the light components indicate that the electrical thingy was manufactured in 1975, the troffer manufactured in 1973 in Pennsylvania, and the lightbulbs themselves manufactured by Sylvania Electric Products in an unknown year.
22	"Static Dead End"	Kane Parsons	Kane Parsons	February 12, 2025  (2025 -02-12)
Following Peter Tench's death, Marvin Leigh and George Levy debate the events; Marvin expresses worry that the Department of Energy killed Peter, while George remains skeptical, saying that it should not concern them. Marvin is eventually persuaded by George, who encourages him to take time off because he’s gone mad or something. At a separate time, researchers return to Room 14D to investigate what Mark found behind the door. George, who is now handling the camera, documents stretched wallpaper, depressions in the flooring, and furniture chaotically phased into the walls and flooring. Maybe the creator decided he wanted to make modern art and put it in the Backrooms.

Reception

Reviews were mostly negative, many claim that the series completely ruined The Backrooms concept by becoming viral and having idiots that don't understand The Backrooms making theory and response YouTube videos where they insert something dumb into The Backrooms... like Skibidi Toilet or Joe Biden. Kane claims he had “no idea” there was an existing fan community that told him his series was shit and he did it wrong. After all the feedback he still made the Backrooms wrong. When his version went viral people just adopted his version and forgot about the original.

In 2023, film studio A24 announced that a film adaptation of series was in the works with Kane Parsons set to direct, even though the whole original Backrooms idea wasn't even his in the first place. Despite probably just being more Hollywood horror slop, it will most likely ruin The Backrooms legacy even more than all the shitty Steam games.

See also

• Horror
• Creepypasta
• Hell