‘Backrooms’ And The Search For Salvation: Being Lost Between Worlds
(ANALYSIS) The Kane Parsons film “Backrooms” has captivated audiences since it hit theaters in May. The movie — a horror film about liminal spaces based on internet mythology known as “creepypasta” — also taps into a series of religious ideas that have existed for centuries, particularly concepts like purgatory, limbo and salvation.
Its endless hallways, trapped souls and uncertain promise of escape evoke ancient questions about what happens when a person finds themselves caught between one reality and another. The movie, set in 1990, features people who become separated from reality and trapped within the Backrooms, a disjointed labyrinth that exists beyond our world.
The bland-looking corridors, fluorescent lights and repetitive architecture create an unsettling space that’s both recognizable and foreign. The horror doesn’t come primarily from violence or monsters. Instead, it’s a result of disorientation, isolation and the chance the characters may never get out. “Backrooms” succeeds as a film because it transforms a simple internet meme into something far more profound. Beneath the surface lies a meditation on hope, fear and anxiety of being trapped between two worlds.
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This creepy atmosphere bears a striking resemblance to the religious concept of limbo. In medieval Christian belief, limbo was often imagined as a borderland — a place that was neither heaven nor hell. It was a state of suspension where souls existed without reaching their final destination. Although the concept was never fully defined as official doctrine, it occupied an important place in religious imagination for centuries. The Italian poet Dante wrote about it as the first circle of hell.
The Backrooms function in a similar way. The characters have not entered a realm of outright punishment, but they’re also not free. They occupy a space that seems disconnected from reality, where time loses its meaning. The characters are trapped in a perpetual state of uncertainty, much like souls lingering on the threshold of eternity.
The movie follows a struggling and alcoholic furniture store owner named Clark (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor). After discovering a portal in his store’s basement, Clark stumbles into a seemingly endless labyrinth of dull yellow-colored rooms. Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve), a therapist who has her own trauma to deal with, eventually receives a chilling message from Clark (who is also her patient) and follows him into the portal to find him.
The film’s most unsettling feature is its refusal to provide any answers. Traditional horror films explain the source of evil or reveal a path for survival. “Backrooms” avoids giving us both. This is a psychological thriller whose mystery remains intact, forcing both the characters and the audience to confront uncertainty itself.
This echoes religious experiences of spiritual waiting. In many theological traditions, one of the biggest struggles is enduring periods when meaning is hidden, and certainty disappears.
The stronger comparison, however, may be to purgatory. In Catholicism, purgatory is not a place of eternal punishment. Instead, it is one of purification. It’s where souls undergo a process that prepares them for heaven. The suffering that comes with purgatory is not physical in nature. It comes from the soul's recognition of its imperfections and its longing for a union with God — not too different from what we see in the Backrooms.
The movie “Backrooms” can be interpreted through a similar lens. As characters move deeper into the maze, they are forced to confront a series of emotions — fear, regret and other emotional wounds — that cannot be easily escaped. The endless corridors become external representations of internal struggles. Every hallway leads not only through physical space, but also memory and psychological pain.
This is one of the movie’s most effective plot lines. The Backrooms is not just a physical place. The labyrinth reflects the deep psychological and emotional states of those inside it. Much like purgatory, the environment calls for some self-confrontation. Escape is not simply a matter of finding the correct door. Instead, it often appears connected to understanding oneself and enduring the suffering that accompanies it.
The film also explores a theme common to many religious traditions: The search for meaning. Across many faiths, suffering is often part of a larger story guided by divine purpose. In the movie, that purpose remains hidden. The characters search for explanations, but offer no real answers.
For many viewers, this may be the film's deepest source of unease. The Backrooms are a universe where meaning appears to exist just beyond reach. The possibility of escape remains very much a possibility, but certainty never arrives. There is hope, but one that is constantly challenged by our own inner doubts.
Clemente Lisi serves as executive editor at Religion Unplugged.