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Backrooms: The creepy internet phenomenon, explained

DW English · Jun 3, 2026, 1:30 PM · Also reported by 1 other source

Key takeaways

  • A low-budget horror film directed by a 20-year-old You Tuber is beating the new Star Wars movie at the box office.
  • One day, he discovers a portal to a mysterious labyrinth of corridors with no apparent end.
  • His therapist, Mary, is played by "Sentimental Value" star Renate Reinsve.

Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.

A low-budget horror film directed by a 20-year-old You Tuber is beating the new Star Wars movie at the box office. Behind its success is an entire viral online maze.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Em SKChiwetel Ejiofor ('12 Years a Slave') stars in 'Backrooms'Image: A24/AP Photo/picture alliance Advertisement In "Backrooms," Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a failed architect who runs a dreary discount furniture-store, drinking himself to sleep in his shop, depressed by his divorce. One day, he discovers a portal to a mysterious labyrinth of corridors with no apparent end.

His therapist, Mary, is played by "Sentimental Value" star Renate Reinsve. She also ends up in the creepy hallways, all while dealing with her own haunting childhood memories.

Article preview — originally published by DW English. Full story at the source.
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