THE BACKROOMS MOVIE BREAKS STREAMING RECORDS, SPARKS GLOBAL CULTURAL PHENOMENON
LOS ANGELES — What began as a haunting internet creepypasta has become a global box office and streaming sensation, as the independent horror film “The Backrooms Movie” has shattered multiple viewership records within its first week of release.
According to data released Tuesday by the film’s production studio, the movie has amassed over 45 million streams across all major platforms since its digital premiere on February 14. This unprecedented figure surpasses the debut week metrics of several major studio horror franchises, marking a significant milestone for online-to-screen adaptations.
WHERE AND WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? The film was distributed globally on February 14 via A24’s streaming service, with simultaneous limited theatrical screenings in 2,300 auditoriums across North America, Europe, and Asia.
WHAT IS THE BACKROOMS MOVIE ABOUT? The plot follows a documentary film crew investigating a series of unexplained disappearances at an abandoned office complex in Akron, Ohio. As they descend deeper into the building, they discover an infinite, liminal maze of yellow, damp-carpeted hallways and fluorescent-lit chambers—a visual and conceptual recreation of the original “Backrooms” internet legend, where characters experience a sense of non-Euclidean geometry and endless isolation.
WHY HAS IT BECOME A VIRAL PHENOMENON? Industry analysts cite the film’s innovative marketing campaign, which utilized “redacted” social media accounts and interactive puzzles designed to mimic the “no-clip” glitch fiction of the source material. Additionally, the film’s deliberate ambiguity, combined with a haunting score, has fueled millions of fan theories and user-generated content on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where the hashtag #BackroomsMovie has garnered over 2.3 billion views.
WHO IS INVOLVED? Directed by Canadian filmmaker Ana