Ever since the dawn of television as a viable artistic medium, filmmakers have been striving to do things that make movies distinctly cinematic. In the ‘50s, this resulted in a lot of gimmickry, such as 3D, Smell-O-Vision, and plenty more. But it also resulted in films crafted by incredibly talented people who felt that much more driven to deliver an unparalleled experience for patrons when they entered the darkness of that movie theater. In many ways, you can track this line of thought all the way up to the franchise blockbuster boom of the 2010s, if you really want to: big-budget spectacles that were throwing nigh endless amounts of cash at the screen in an effort to appear more ‘cinematic’ than the prestige-era TV shows of the time.
I find all of this particularly fascinating insofar as how it relates to the modern era. Because for as much as the barrier between television and movies has been eroded away in many ways, there’s a new medium on the block that is bringing competition to both of their doorsteps: the internet. I don’t need to tell you about the viability of the internet as a platform for entertainment; you’re literally reading this on the internet right now. But the internet has never felt like quite as valid of a contender for audiences’ attention as it has in 2026, what with films like Obsession and Backrooms. Both of these projects, of course, came from the internet and made their way to theaters as movies, and now, Backrooms is set to come to TV, making its streaming debut on HBO Max on September 25, 2026.
It is evident in Backrooms that director Kane Parsons put a substantial amount of effort into turning the film into a truly widescreen, cinematic event, not unlike the directors of the ‘50s. Where those directors were competing with TV projects, attempting to ensure that their work was so grandiose that audiences felt they couldn’t possibly see it replicated anywhere but the big screen, Parsons was looking to upscale the visuals of Backrooms without losing what had made his internet short films such viral sensations. And rather famously, he succeeded.
Not only did Backrooms become a gargantuan hit, raking in over $80 million in its domestic opening weekend alone and shattering all kinds of records in the process, but it also earned acclaim from critics and audiences alike. There had been so many films in the years prior (looking at you, Slender Man) that had attempted to turn an online following into a bona fide butts-in-seats movie event and failed, but Parsons managed to strike an ideal balance with his debut feature. Backrooms has key sequences that maintain the found-footage POV that Parsons utilized so well in many of his online shorts, but it also has more traditionally staged dramatic sequences, in which Parsons and DP Jeremy Cox utilize wide-angle deep-focus lenses to create an unsettling yet distinctly cinematic look.
The fact that Backrooms is now coming to HBO Max means that a whole new slew of viewers will get the chance to be exposed to it. Parsons and co. are allegedly already working on the script for a follow-up, and the film’s premiere on streaming is sure to make audiences that much more ravenous for more Backrooms.
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