TL;DR: If your kid is talking about a movie with "never-ending walls," "yellow hallways," or "noclip-ing," they’re talking about The Backrooms. What started as a weird internet meme (creepypasta) became a viral YouTube sensation by a teenager named Kane Parsons, and it is now officially being turned into a feature film by A24 (the studio behind Everything Everywhere All At Once). It’s not "slasher" horror; it’s "existential dread" horror.
Quick Links for the "Liminal Space" Obsessed:
- The Original Viral Video: The Backrooms (Found Footage) by Kane Pixels
- The Best Game Version: Superliminal
- The Roblox Rabbit Hole: Roblox (Search "Backrooms")
- For Older Teens/Parents: Severance
If you’ve heard your kids mention the "never-ending wall" movie, or perhaps you've seen them watching grainy footage of a person running through an infinite, fluorescent-lit office space with moist yellow carpet, you’ve encountered The Backrooms.
The concept is simple but haunting: What if you "noclip" (a gaming term for passing through a solid object) out of reality and end up in a dimension that consists of nothing but empty, interconnected rooms? There are no windows, the lights hum incessantly, and you are definitely not alone.
The upcoming movie is the culmination of a massive internet phenomenon. In 2022, a 16-year-old named Kane Parsons uploaded a short film to his YouTube channel, Kane Pixels, that looked like lost VHS footage from the 1990s. It went nuclear, garnering over 100 million views. Now, A24—the coolest indie studio in Hollywood—has tapped Parsons to direct a full-length feature film based on this lore.
Ask our chatbot about the latest updates on the Backrooms movie release date
You might be wondering why your kid wants to watch a movie about an empty office building. The appeal lies in a concept called Liminal Spaces.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are fascinated by these "in-between" places—empty malls at night, school hallways during summer break, or deserted airports. These spaces feel "off" because they are designed for people, but they are currently empty. It creates a specific type of "uncanny valley" feeling that this generation finds both terrifying and oddly aesthetic.
It’s a departure from the "Skibidi Toilet" style of high-energy brain rot. The Backrooms is slow, atmospheric, and deeply psychological. For many kids, it’s their first introduction to "prestige horror"—the kind of stuff that stays with you because it feels like a bad dream you’ve actually had.
The Backrooms is generally considered "gateway horror."
Unlike Terrifier or other gore-fests, the Backrooms relies on tension and atmosphere.
- Violence: Very low. Most "entities" in the Backrooms are spindly, distorted shapes that chase the protagonist. You rarely see blood.
- Language: Usually clean, though the "Found Footage" style involves a lot of heavy breathing and panicked whispering.
- Fear Factor: High. The jump scares are infrequent but effective. The real "danger" is the sense of isolation and the feeling of being trapped forever in a monotonous space.
If your child struggles with anxiety about being lost or "trapped," this might be a tough watch. However, for the average 11 or 12-year-old, it’s a badge of honor to navigate the lore without getting too freaked out.
Check out our guide on how to tell if your kid is ready for psychological horror
The "Never-Ending Wall" movie is just the tip of the iceberg. Because the Backrooms is an "open source" lore (meaning anyone can add to it), it has spread across every platform your kids use.
There are thousands of Backrooms "experiences" on Roblox. Some are survival games where you hide from monsters; others are just "walking simulators" where you explore the yellow hallways. It’s one of the most popular genres on the platform right now.
Kids have spent hundreds of hours meticulously recreating "Level 0" (the yellow rooms) in Minecraft. It’s actually a great exercise in digital architecture, even if the result is eerie.
This is a fantastic, mind-bending puzzle game that deals with perspective and liminal spaces. If your kid likes the vibe of the Backrooms but you want them to do something more "brainy" and less "scary," this is the gold standard. It’s basically a playable version of an Escher painting.
For older kids (13+), this game is a meta-commentary on office life and choice. It features a lot of the same "empty office" imagery but with a hilarious, dry-humor narrator. It’s brilliant and much more "intellectual" than your standard YouTube jump-scare video.
The Backrooms isn't just one floor. The internet has created "Levels."
- Level 0: The Yellow Rooms (The most famous).
- Level 1: A dark warehouse.
- Level 2: Pipe dreams (industrial tunnels).
Kids love categorizing things. They will talk about "Entities" like The Smilers or The Bacteria. It’s very similar to how kids used to obsess over Pokemon stats, but with a creepy skin.
The Screenwise Take: This is generally harmless. It’s collaborative storytelling. However, be aware that because it’s fan-generated, some "Backrooms" content on YouTube can lean into darker themes or more intense horror than the original Kane Pixels videos.
Learn more about how to filter YouTube for specific themes
If your kid is obsessed, don't just dismiss it as "weird yellow walls." Use it as a bridge to talk about media literacy and filmmaking.
Try asking these questions:
- "I heard a teenager is directing the big Hollywood version of this. How do you think he made those videos look so real when he was only 16?" (This opens a door to talking about Blender and VFX).
- "Why do you think empty hallways are scarier than actual monsters?"
- "If you were stuck in a 'liminal space,' what’s the one thing you’d want to have with you?"
- Ages 7-10: Proceed with caution. The concept of "noclip-ing" out of reality can be genuinely distressing for younger children who might start worrying that the floor could swallow them up. Stick to the Minecraft versions if they are curious.
- Ages 11-13: This is the sweet spot. They enjoy the "scary but not too scary" vibe. Monitor their Roblox play to ensure they aren't stumbling into "loud noise" jump-scare variants that can be startle-heavy.
- Ages 14+: They are likely ready for the full A24 movie when it drops. You might even suggest they watch Severance on Apple TV+ with you—it’s essentially "The Backrooms for adults" and a great conversation starter about work-life balance.
The "Never-Ending Wall" movie (The Backrooms) is a rare example of internet culture graduating to the big leagues. It’s creative, it’s atmospheric, and it’s a huge part of the current digital zeitgeist for middle and high schoolers.
It’s not "brain rot." It’s actually a pretty sophisticated form of psychological horror that rewards curiosity and world-building. As long as your kid isn't losing sleep over the hum of the fluorescent lights, it's a fascinating trend to follow.
Next Steps:
- Watch the original 9-minute Kane Pixels video with them. It’s a masterclass in tension.
- If they want to play it, point them toward Superliminal for a high-quality puzzle experience.
- Keep an eye out for the A24 trailer—it’s going to be the "must-see" movie for the 12-18 demographic.
Ask Screenwise for a personalized list of "Cozy Horror" games for your child