I stumbled across a series of found footage analogue horror shorts called “The Backrooms” and was instantly invested. There are dozens of these films scattered across YouTube, the genesis of which was conjured by a young filmmaker and visual effects artist named Kane Parsons.
Parsons (who goes by Kane Pixels) began his filmmaking career as a teenager. He has an unusual knack for horror with the shorts released thus far. They have become internet sensations, inspiring countless others to make their own versions. In May of 2026, Kane Parsons will make his feature length directorial debut when A24 Films releases “Backrooms.”
Primitive Fear
“The Backrooms” employs game glitches to set the premise. A cameraman (Parsons) stumbles out of his reality and into the backrooms, like a video game character accessing an inaccessible portion of a game. We watch the film from the lens of the camera as he explores his surroundings, a consistent and seemingly endless maze of bland rooms and halls until a horrific creature begins chasing him.
The movie is effective at using liminal space as an agent of terror. The surroundings of the backrooms area are empty and feel like a transitional point in time. Primal fears such as isolation, unable to leave, and being chased are employed to perfection. It feels like a nightmare we have all experienced.
Analog Horror
The found footage aspect is anything but modern. The camera view looks and feels like something from the 80s or 90s. It has an intentionally cheap quality to it that only adds to the weirdly unsettling scenario.
The unintelligible monster is original and terrifying. The screech it belches out when pursuing the cameraman is perfectly chilling. The creature itself is something you can’t make sense out of. It’s weirdly unsettling and makes for a perfect horror beast.
Kane Pixels
“The Backrooms” is a 9-minute horror short that’s refreshing. I’m excited to see what the full-length film has in store.
If you’re interested in horror shorts, check out the entire Backrooms series on Kane Pixels YouTube channel.
