Backrooms horror meme expands from 4chan image to A24 feature film

The "Backrooms" originated in 2019 when a yellowed office photograph was posted on 4chan, prompting users to share unsettling images. A creepypasta description soon framed the scene as an endless maze of fluorescent-lit corridors where anyone who "mistakenly exits reality" becomes trapped. The myth grew through forums, wikis and subreddits, establishing a new sub‑genre of "liminal horror."

In January 2022, 20‑year‑old filmmaker Kane Parsons released the YouTube short "The Backrooms (Found Footage)," which amassed tens of millions of views and cemented the concept’s visual identity. The viral success led A24 to produce a feature‑length movie directed by Parsons, bringing the internet‑born nightmare to mainstream cinemas. Investigation later revealed the original photograph had been taken in 2002 during a renovation of a HobbyTown store in Wisconsin, USA.

The phenomenon illustrates how a single mundane image can evolve into a collaborative digital myth and then into a Hollywood production.