Horror films spotlight liminal terror and therapist vulnerability in recent releases

The horror genre is expanding its thematic range in 2024. Kane Parsons' film *Backrooms* adapts a popular online creepypasta into a feature that visualizes endless, fluorescent office corridors, using sound design and set pieces to evoke a sense of psychological limbo. The story follows a struggling furniture store owner, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who discovers a dimensional crack beneath his shop, pulling him and his therapist into a surreal, memory‑warped space.

At the same time, a broader trend is emerging in horror cinema where mental‑health professionals are portrayed as vulnerable figures confronting their own crises. Recent productions highlight therapists such as those played by Rose Byrne and Jodie Foster, emphasizing how the genre uses clinical authority to explore deeper anxieties.

Both pieces illustrate how contemporary horror blends existential dread with character‑driven narratives, pushing the genre beyond conventional jump scares.