SUPERGIRL IS SUPER DISAPPOINTING

 Let me start by saying I did not hate this film. Overall, I’m pretty ambivalent about it. It’s trying to be a mixture of Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars, but doesn’t do either well. There are elements here that work well enough on their own. Too bad they’re attached to a dud.

The editing by Fred Raskin and Tatiana S. Riegel is a jumbled, god-awful, convoluted, non-sensical mess. The screenplay by Ana Nogueira doesn’t fare much better. She gives us zero reason to get invested in either of the two main plot lines. There are great, meaningful messages that land with a thud due to the film they’re attached to not being very good. There are also contrivances and conveniences aplenty. I honestly was expecting a multitude of people to be credited for the screenplay with how poor and messy it turned out.

Matthias Schoenaerts is the worst offender of the actors as main villain, Krem. He’s a space bully who is more annoying than he is threatening, intimidating, or memorable. Krem is about on the same level of bad as many First Phase MCU villains, if not worse. I fucking hated him.

Eve Ridley as Ruthye is not good. She is a more annoying version of Athena from Tomorrowland, but with far less to do.  Ruthye had her family butchered in front of her by Krem, and Kara had Krypto shot with a slow-acting poison by Krem. This is what binds our two heroines together and sets the plot into motion.

Milly Alcock as Supergirl, Jason Momoa as Lobo (who only gets around 15 minutes of screen time), David Corenswet as Superman, and David Krumholtz as Zor-El are the stand-outs acting and character wise. Jason Momoa is letting loose and having fun as Lobo, a bounty hunter with a real devil-may-care attitude. He’s a lot of fun but isn’t of much import to the proceedings. Maybe one day he’ll get his own movie. I’d say he deserves one (so long as the talent behind the camera is of higher quality than the crew we have here).

David Corenswet continues to prove he’s perfect as Superman in his few all-too-brief scenes. Milly Alcock as Supergirl does great (the scattered scenes of her backstory are certainly better than most of the rest of the film). Kara is essentially the female version of Star-Lord. Her development is very well done and it’s appreciated that she is heavily flawed.

It’s a shame that the film bearing Supergirl’s name doesn’t live up to her character. She deserves a better movie than this. I can only hope she has roles to play in upcoming films, maybe then she can truly fly. There is no unified, creative vision for this movie. It feels like Craig Gillespie did not have full creative control (studio meddling?).

Supergirl, unlike its main lead, lacks personality and a unique identity. I genuinely don’t know who to blame for this one. Did James Gunn or the studio take too much of a hands on approach? Does Ana Noguiera deserve to take most of the blame for her poor screenwriting skills and lack of vision for the product she churned out?  Did editors Fred Raskin and Tatiana S. Riegel kneecap the movie with their choppy, confusing, and scattershot job? Maybe it’s all three? Either way, the end result is the same: a disappointing, unexciting superhero flop that sinks instead of soars.

2 STARS

PRIDE MONTH HORROR: LEVITICUS

 Leviticus wants to be It Follows for queer people, but doesn’t exactly succeed in its goal. The concept of a murderous entity taking the form of the one you love most is a very scary, freaky concept. It’s scarier than anything that actually happens in the film. Running at approximately 90 minutes, the quickness of the sequence of events can feel rushed or even nonsensical at times. This is another one that would have gained a bit by extending its run time.

This flick is grappling with some deep, meaningful themes such as the importance of human connection, some people’s desire to keep queer lovers apart, the deadly consequences of forced isolation, religion’s effects on queer people (the way they see each other and their love), and more. It doesn’t execute all of these themes well, but it gets enough right. We never learn much about the evil religious healer who summons the deadly entity, and the rules for this entity aren’t fully fleshed out. It’s also somewhat unrealistic that not a single other person in this film is supportive of our leads’ relationship.

The strongest things about Leviticus are the performances of Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen, and the chemistry they share. The love these two have for each other is palpable and feels real. Clausen’s Ryan doesn’t get quite as much screen time as Joe Bird’s Naim, which feels a bit odd (the film is told purely from the pov of Naim). Both actors sell the hell out of their roles and the material they are given. They are a large part of the reason why this flick works as well as it does.

Leviticus is far from a perfect film. It’s certainly flawed (for example: the too quick ending, or that the solution to our leads’ problem isn’t too hard to guess for those paying attention), but it’s tense, sad, freaky, effective at times, and perfectly captures part of the queer experience. It’s genuinely trying to say something meaningful. I really appreciate the effort.

3.5 STARS

IT'S TIME TO PUT THE TOYS BACK ON THE SHELF: TOY STORY 5

Cute, harmless, but doesn’t do enough to justify its existence by the end. While Toy Story 5 bills itself as a tech vs toys story, it’s ultimately a check Toy Story 5 cant cash, nor does it really want to. The story this go-round is more about Jessie coming to terms with her traumatic past. Luckily, everything that has to do with this is fairly solid, it’s the parts surrounding it that come up lacking. This 5th outing is disjointed and uneven as the film spends most of its time juggling sub-plots and locations. 

Jessie and Bullseye find themselves stranded at Jessie’s old house after her attempt to follow Bonnie along on a sleepover goes south. Buzz is at Bonnie’s house trying to keep things in order while stressing over how to properly proclaim his love for her. Woody winds up at Bonnie’s house after a jumbled communication from Jessie leaves him thinking she needs his help. Meanwhile a horde of updated Buzz Lightyear toys attempt to survive in the wild. All this while our beloved toys struggle to face potential obsolescence at the hands of screens and tech.

Toy Story 5 never finds a comfortable balance between all of these subplots. The Buzz Lightyear horde don’t serve much of a purpose except as filler and a 13th hour deus ex machina. The toys vs tech element is mostly forgotten about by the start of the second act, and the conclusion that “tech are toys too” is more than a little underwhelming. Buzz and Woody are essentially after thoughts. The main plot concerning Jessie and her past is very well done, and it’s conclusion gave me serious feels and chills. 

The MVP of the film is Conan O’Brien’s Smarty Pants, a sarcastic potty training device that sounds drunk when low on batteries. He winds up befriending Jessie and helps her find her way home. Toy Story 5 is not a bad movie, but it doesn’t come anywhere near the ridiculous highs of the first 3 films. In the end, it makes a strong argument that it might be time to put the toys away as, at this point, much like the main plot of the film, this franchise is being used mainly to appeal to nostalgia while offering very little that’s new or of import to say. Our beloved toys are being used solely to make a quick buck.

3 STARS

THE FURIOUS IS HERE TO KICK ASS AND CHEW GUM...AND IT'S ALL OUT OF GUM

 Oh yeah, this hit the spot. It gives you the The Raid: Redemption fix you didn’t know you needed. The story is simple: a father (Miao Xie) looking for his abducted daughter and a detective (Joe Taslim, of The Raid: Redemption fame) searching for his missing wife team up to track down the men responsible and bring them to justice. It doesn’t take long before they realize they’ve started a war with a child trafficking ring.

The direction by Kenji Tanigaki, the cinematography by Meteor Chung, and the editing by Chris Tonick are all perfection. The fight choreography by Kensuke Sonomura is fast, furious, and beautiful. It’s like watching a perfectly timed dance. The entire film is pretty much non-stop, high-octane action. The final fight in particular had a big, goofy grin plastered on my face for the duration of it.

The actors all do convincing jobs. It’s good to see Joe Taslim back on the big screen in a martial arts film. Miao Xie impresses mightily as the mute father. His fighting is the best out of all the characters. Yayan Ruhian (also of The Raid: Redemption fame) shines as the second in command of the child trafficking ring. If you’ve seen his previous work you know what he is capable fighting wise, and he does not disappoint. Joe Taslim and him get to fight each other again, which feels great to see.

Brian Le is surprisingly memorable as a dim-witted goon who’s built like a tank and doesn’t know when to stay down. He’s destined to become a fan-favorite character. Joey Iwanaga leaves an impression as the head of the nefarious operation. He doesn’t really take center-stage until the third act, but he plays his unhinged role well. 

The only real negatives is some of the blood looks CGI and the dubbing (English over English) is noticeably off. It’s almost like they had some actors mouth the words so an English voice-actor could come in later and dub-over their lip-syncing. That’s it for the bad. It’s really small potatoes when weighed against the scale of everything else this film does oh-so right.

The Furious is an instant classic. It’s bloody, breathless, fast-paced, and totally exhilarating. It’s also easily one of the best films of 2026. If you are a fan of action-films done right, you would do wise to seek this one out ASAP. It will have you leaving the theater feeling bruised, battered, but victorious and screaming for more.

5 STARS

TIME TO CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH WITH MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

 “Let’s fist some bad guys!”

Gay icon He-Man RETURNS!!!! Masters of the Universe is like watching a self-aware live-action Saturday morning cartoon. This film embraces its silly roots, and never takes itself too seriously. It even pokes fun at itself in some moments. Everyone assembled is perfectly cast, from the lead players like Jared Leto as Skeletor, Nicholas Galitzine as Adam/He-Man, Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-At-Arms, and Camila Mendes as Teela, to supporting players like Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Fisto, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram Man, Kristen Wiig as Roboto, and Christian Vuniopola as Hussein. Everyone is having an absolute blast

Jared Leto puts on his best performance in years as Skeletor. The voice isn’t quite right, but he looks perfect and his personality is highly entertaining. He owns every scene he’s in. His laugh is perfect!

Nicholas Galitzine as Adam nails his role as well. For the first act he is a total pussy, but once he wields his mighty sword, he gets a lot better and a lot more attractive (It’s not just his body that gets an upgrade, but his hair as well). He makes for a pretty good role model for kids as he is in touch with his emotions, consistently shows vulnerability, and while he isn’t above throwing fists, he believes in the value of attempting to talk things out first. Camila Mendes as Teela, Adam's love interest, is very likable and unbelievably hot. She's essentially second lead.

All the best parts of Masters of the Universe take place in Eternia, and 90% to 95% of the film take place here. Less than 30 minutes take place on Earth (around 20 to 25 minutes are on Earth). The production design by Guy Hendrix Dyas and the costume design by Richard Sale are beautiful and very cool. Everything is consistently appealing to look at. The score by Daniel Pemberton (with Queen's Brian May on guitar) is incredibly cool and adds much adrenaline to the proceedings. It’s very sonically pleasing. 

There is a good deal of action, and every fight scene is excellent and fun. That said, there are plenty of lulls in-between where characters take time to talk to each other and get caught up with events they had missed. While Masters of the Universe isn’t non-stop action, it always manages to hold your attention and entertain.

With strong direction by Travis Knight (CEO of Laika and sin of Nike founder Phil Knight), this adaptation of Masters of the Universe feels like you are watching a live-action Saturday morning cartoon. I’ve never seen the source material and I imagine it differs a good deal from the show people grew up with, but this is still a quality product. Masters of the Universe is a guilt-free, highly entertaining good time.

3.5 STARS

EPCOT 2.0

 The last time I had been to EPCOT was way back in 2015, when it was still construction wall city. A lot has changed since then, and I just recently had the chance to re-visit the park. What are my thoughts? I will say the entrance is a ton better than the old one. They've added trees, greenery, and a little fountain with a sculpture directly in front of Spaceship Earth.

 Very nice, very aesthetically pleasing. There's also a new background loop which might be better than the old one that used to play in this area. World Showcase still has the same layout, but Future World has been re-vamped considerably. Gone is the Fountain of Nations (R.I.P.), replaced by a concrete area with a garden structure in the middle and some greenery and trees surrounding it. It doesn't feel as open as the area used to, and overall it's not very inviting. 

The trees and greenery surrounding the new structure light up and glow at night, but the garden structure itself does not (it's still broken). Innoventions has been ripped out, and in its place are a large open stage and a new building called Communicore Hall. Communicore Hall is essentially a large hallway where temporary exhibits can be housed. When I visited, it was hosting "Goofy-Core", which basically uses the space as an area for kids to go crazy and play in. In the middle is a round DJ stage where a cast member instructs kids on what to do, even though many seemed to disregard instructions and choose to just play-fight with each other instead. 

There was very little theming to Goofy-Core, the extent of which was some colorful banners that adorned the walls. Very disappointing as there's not much to do inside and the open air stage is outdoors in the sweltering heat with very little shade. Overall, Communicore Hall is a LARGE downgrade from Innoventions. The only other things worth mentioning is that in the UK area they added a bunch of freaking adorable tiny fairy homes situated around a Tinkerbell topiary. I don’t know if this is just for the Flower and Garden Festival, but I hope it’s a permanent addition. 

The model train garden in the Germany area is cute as heck too (as it always is).  What about the rides and restaurants in EPCOT, I hear you ask. Well, take a seat and get comfy. Let's discuss.

SPACESHIP EARTH - This will always and forever be one of my favorite attractions of all time. It's just so comfy, chill, and cool. That said, it needs a refurb. The narration by Judy Dench is by no means bad, but it is outdated with some very cringe-y jokes and the entire descent to the unload area needs a total re-do. The video you are forced to watch during this portion is very cheap and embarrassing. It resembles something you could create on JibJab back in the day and utilizes effects that were outdated even when it was first introduced. 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: COSMIC REWIND - WHAT A THRILL!!! WHAT A RUSH!!! The planet Xandar from the first Guardians of the Galaxy film has set-up an informational exhibit in EPCOT that aims to inform visitors about how cool and great Xandar is, as well as the many similarities Earth and Xandar share, including that both were formed by The Big Bang. During a demonstration of some teleportation technology, the Celestial Eson crashes the proceedings. He steals the Cosmic Generator, which is used to create portals in space to transport vehicles from point a to point b in a flash. 

Eson aims to use this device to travel back to before The Big Bang to prevent the creation of Earth and mankind. It's up to us and the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop him, mainly by acting as a distraction until the Nova fleet (Xandar's military) can arrive and contain him. This was my first time on the attraction, and I wasn't expecting much. Boy was I wrong! This baby reaches speeds of 60 MPH and features randomized 80s pop music.

 I got 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World', and it RULED!!! The queue for the attraction is serviceable. There are total of 4 pre-shows (if you count the initial holding area you wait in for the first pre-show to reset). The first pre-show with Glen Close is great and effective, with some minimal (inadvertent?) motion-simulator elements.  The next two featuring Terry Crews...eh, not so much. 

The teleportation effect is very cool and impressive, but Terry Crews is simply atrocious and annoying. It feels like he was miscast. The coaster itself more than makes up for these flaws though. It's essentially a mixture of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (The randomized music tracks) and Space Mountain (a family coaster in the dark with star fields projected on the walls and support beams). There are no falls or inversions. 

This is an incredible and very fun "omni-coaster", so called because the coaster cars rotate to face screens placed throughout the ride which display the Guardians of the Galaxy fighting Eson. The attraction doesn't exactly fit the original mission statement of EPCOT (You could easily argue it doesn't belong or fit in EPCOT at all) despite some minimal educational aspects in the queue. All that being said, I never thought I would say this, but Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is easily the best coaster in all of Walt Disney World. Be aware there is no single rider option for this attraction, so be prepared to wait upwards of an hour to board (I feel like the long wait times are mostly due to the time spent in the multiple pre-shows).

SOARIN' ACROSS AMERICA - This was perfect. I haven't been on Soarin' Around the World, so all I have to compare this to is the original Soarin'. 'America' certainly isn't as great as 'California', but it would appear to be leagues better than 'World', judging just from videos I've seen of 'World'. This is a genuine throwback to the OG. I LOVE that they brought back the LEGEND Bruce Broughtner to score this temporary update. Jerry Goldsmith scored California and World, but Broughtner scored many classic EPCOT attractions such as 'Honey, I Shrunk the Audience', the Judy Dench version of Spaceship Earth, and Ellen's Energy Adventure. 

The score for 'America' is very reminiscent of that for 'California', but with some tweaks that help to differentiate it a bit. The first portion of the queue is home to multiple stylized travel posters that pay homage to the previous iterations of the attraction while also teasing some of the new locations we'll be visiting this go-round. The attraction itself is very relaxing, calming and pleasing, with plenty of scents that are utilized including grass, ocean spray, and Louisiana Bayou swamp. The first few scenes do feature some egregious CGI, but it doesn't take long for 'America' to settle into it's rhythm and utilize actual footage of real locations. Overall, this is a total win and should just totally replace 'World' altogether. 

LIVING WITH THE LAND - I used to only care about the first indoor potion, but I find that I equally enjoyed the outdoor greenhouse area this time as well. I'm shocked to say that, as of right now, this is likely the overall best attraction at EPCOT.

GRAN FIESTA TOUR - This is obviously not my first time riding this attraction. It's a good ride, and I'll always go on it, but I miss the calm tone and cool (and at times creepy) atmosphere of El Rio del Tiempo. Gran Fiesta Tour is very chaotic and fast-paced, which isn't bad. It's just not my preferred flavor of boat ride. Still worth a ride or several though.

SAN ANGEL INN - This is where we ate lunch/dinner. It's the restaurant located inside the Mexico pavilion and is situated by the first scene of Gran Fiesta Tour (which features a large Mayan pyramid and an erupting volcano). San Angel Inn is basically Walt Disney World's version of the Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland. It's always nighttime inside the Mexico pavilion, and this creates a fantastic, cool, and relaxing atmosphere for dining guests. The quality of the food was superb and the menu items weren't exorbitantly priced. 

THE AMERICAN ADVENTURE - Always and forever a timeless attraction, even it isn't always fully historically accurate. Some of the audio-animatronics need a bit of work as it looks like some figures' mouths no longer move . That being said, you can't help but be completely bowled over and wow'd with the scale of the show and the dedication and love that went into making it. It never fails to impress, It always gives me chills throughout, and I always tear up at the end. The best show in all of Walt Disney World PERIOD!

REMY'S RATATOUILLE ADVENTURE - Underwhelmed. It works well enough without the 3-D, but you can definitely feel that something is missing (I never got to ride the 3D version, but I could sense its removal). It needs more sets and props as the majority of the attraction is just screens with little theming. 

My favorite scene is the pantry, where some of the ride vehicles hide the way real rats would. This is a cute ride that has adorable ride vehicles with personality (I honestly think the ride vehicles are the best part of this attraction). I wouldn't wait longer than 30 minutes to ride this.

CANADA FAR AND WIDE - Not as good as the previous two versions, but still pleasing, beautiful, and occasionally moving. Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara (R.I.P.) make for decent and entertaining narrators/guides. This is one of the most underrated films/attractions at EPCOT and is always worth a watch. I LOVE Circlevision 360, and this is one of the few of this type of attraction we have left. 

JOURNEY INTO IMAGINATION WITH FIGMENT - Easily the weakest ride at EPCOT. Badly in need of a total overhaul. I don't know why I continue to go on this. It's cute enough and the theming is decent at times. 

I also dig the queue (Where else can you see the real Weebo from Flubber?) Not a fan of the chaos demon this attraction turns Figment into. He's very unlikable and annoying, and this Figment isn't true to the original Figment from the original Journey into Imagination. This attraction is harmless, but it's well past time it's replaced with something better.

TEST TRACK - None of the versions of Test Track have been perfect, but this one is the closest we've gotten. It could use some explanation concerning the male and female voices (maybe a brief pre-show/queue video). The male is human, the female is our car, but what is his role and what exactly are we doing? This isn't exactly a "test track" anymore, but more of a journey into the future of automobiles. 

The screens in the 'house of the future' portion are the weakest part. BRING BACK THE SPRAYING ROBOTS!!! They would fit the theme of that section, which concerns updating and working on your car at home. The first scene of the ride, where a city street fades into a trillion points of bright blue light, is incredible. 

I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the 'Fun to be Free' forest joy ride portion before the 65 MPH section. While the outdoor 65 MPH speed section is still thrilling and invigorating as hell, I'd actually say the 'Fun to be Free' portion is the best part of this attraction. I wouldn't say this third iteration of Test Track is perfect, but it's close. BRAVO!!!!

And now, with our tour of EPCOT 2.0 coming to its inevitable end, that means it's time to head back to our hotel. My family stayed at the Coronado Springs Resort and boy, was it gorgeous!!! The main tower, which is inspired by a Disney animated short with a neat history called 'Destino' and opened July 2019, is beautiful. We stayed in the older original area, though and it's equally as beautiful as the new tower, just more homey. Our room had multiple art themed to The Three Caballeros adorning the walls. 

The food court was very nice. The morning empanadas I ate were some of the best I've had in a while. Very delicious. Overall, I absolutely adored my time here and would more than happily choose to stay here again.

So, that's it for EPCOT 2.0. Overall, I'd say EPCOT 2.0 is a lateral move from the EPCOT of the 2000s. A little bit was gained, and a good deal was lost, but it still mostly feels like the same EPCOT. That being said, there is a good deal of attractions in the park that are badly in need of work or updating, which begs the question: Why is Carousel of Progress getting updated first when there are other offerings more in need of upgrades and renovations in EPCOT? Oh, that's right, because corporate demands their lifelike Walt audio-animatronic be placed in one of their parks. Regardless, I highly enjoyed my time at EPCOT 2.0 and look forward to visiting again, hopefully soon. 

GET LOST IN BACKROOMS

“If you're not careful and you noclip out of reality in the wrong areas, you'll end up in the Backrooms, where it's nothing but the stink of old moist carpet, the madness of mono-yellow, the endless background noise of fluorescent lights at maximum hum-buzz, and approximately six hundred million square miles of randomly segmented empty rooms to be trapped in. God save you if you hear something wandering around nearby, because it sure as hell has heard you.”

In Backrooms, failed architect turned unsuccessful furniture salesman Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) stumbles into an alternate world consisting of liminal spaces and misremembered objects and places. Fascinated, he spends the following weeks mapping out and exploring this alternate world.. When Mary (Renate Reinsve), Clark’s therapist, receives a concerning voicemail, she decides to search for him, inadvertently finding herself trapped in The Backrooms. Unfortunately for both Clark and Maria, there is much more to fear in The Backrooms than just getting lost.

Backrooms is directed by twenty-year-old Kane Parsons, adapted from his YouTube series, which itself is based on the Backrooms Creepypasta. His directing is superb and feels immediate, youthful, experimental, daring, and fresh. The screenplay was penned by forty-five-year-old Will Soodik, and is superb as well. It’s very rich, thoughtful, and Jungian. Our characters are fully fleshed out and three-dimensional as well.

Jeremy Cox handles cinematography, and Greg Ng is in charge of editing. Both do excellent jobs. The cinematography can be dizzying at times and always excels at disorienting the viewer. Backrooms is mostly shot traditionally, but there are refreshing portions that rely on found footage or shaky cam. These portions work better than most recent found-footage films.

Danny Vermette is production designer for Backrooms and does phenomenal work. Backrooms’ locations are incredibly uncanny, liminal, and unsettling, and the 90s aesthetics are accurate and nostalgia-inducing. This is definitely one place you would not want to be trapped in. The score is composed by Kane Parsons and Edo Van Breeman. It’s striking, strong, and very synth-y, adding tension and unease to the proceedings throughout.

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve both turn in compelling and engaging performances. Ejiofor knows how to switch between nuance and extremity. His role requires a lot from him and he delivers. Reinsve, on the other hand, is more subdued and quiet throughout. That said, she portrays terror exceptionally well. 

Unfortunately, Backrooms doesn’t give Lukita Maxwell or Finn Bennett much opportunity to shine. Mark Duplass fares better as Phil, an Async employee tasked with exploring and documenting the Backrooms. Duplass is sprinkled in sporadically throughout the proceedings. He takes a nothing character and makes him interesting and memorable.

Backrooms doesn’t rely on jump scares to frighten its audience. It chooses to instead drop them into a world of tension and unease and forces them to stew in it. It is filled with heady concepts that it wants audiences to ponder.  Fans of psychology and Jung might find themselves pleasantly surprised with the proceedings. 

Backrooms has so much going for it, so where does it go wrong? Unfortunately, the film chooses to constrain itself to less than an hour and forty-five minutes of run time. This means character arcs are rushed, weeks to months are skipped over, and the interior workings and psyches of our leads could have been more fully explored. An extra twenty minutes or more would have given this almost-masterpiece and its characters more room to breathe. Another potentially polarizing element is this: The lore from the Backrooms Creepypasta remains intact, but Parsons makes a choice that might anger some die-hards regarding whether or not an entity lurks within. Luckily you don’t need to be familiar with said lore to enjoy this film.

While there could have been more to Backrooms, what we’re given is still very strong, and works mostly exceptionally well on its own. There is so much to Backrooms that this movie could easily spawn an entire franchise, with new characters populating each additional entry. This first entry works as a sturdy, strong foundation for future films. Only a fraction of The Backrooms is explored here, and you can only imagine what more there is to see in this terrifying alternate world. 

Backrooms is a very strong outing for first-time director Kane Parsons. It’s the kind of film only a twenty-year-old could make, and I mean that in the best way possible. It’s heady horror that wants audiences to engage with its many ideas. It plays like an episode of the Twilight Zone mixed with House of Leaves. What’s here is very satisfying, but I want more and eagerly look forward to future installments.

4.5 STARS