Lost in the Labyrinth: Jeff's Picks for Trippy Horror While We Wait for A24's Backrooms Film
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Jeff dives into the unsettling lore of A24's upcoming *Backrooms* film, offering six mind-bending horror movie recommendations like *Exit 8* and *The Void* to tide over eager fans with a taste for liminal dread and reality-warping scares. This article, inspired by Ryan Epps' work on Polygon.com, serves up cinematic side quests for gamers who love a good psychological twist.
Right then, gather 'round, you digital adventurers and reality-bending enthusiasts! The air is thick with anticipation, and it’s not just the static electricity from my latest experimental portal generator. No, mate, it’s the burgeoning hype for A24’s *Backrooms* movie, heading our way in late May 2026. This whole rabbit hole, mind you, was first explored by Ryan Epps over at Polygon.com, and fair play to them for digging up some absolute gems to keep our minds warped until then.
For those who’ve perhaps been stuck in a particularly stable dimension, the *Backrooms* started life as a 4chan post – just a simple, unsettling image, really. But like a glitch in the matrix spawning a whole new level, it quickly blossomed into creepypastas, YouTube shorts, and now, a full-blown cinematic experience. Think of it as the ultimate in digital liminal spaces: endless, sickly yellow hallways, the incessant hum of fluorescent lights, and that crushing feeling of being utterly, inexplicably *elsewhere*. It's less a place, more a vibe – a delicious, sanity-bleeding vibe that’s perfect for the big screen.
Now, if you're like me, waiting for something this intriguing can feel like trying to download a massive patch on dial-up. So, while we patiently (or perhaps impatiently) await A24's take on this psychological horror phenomenon, I’ve been tinkering with a few other reality-bending flicks that offer a similar brand of existential dread. Consider these your pre-game warm-ups, your side quests into the beautifully terrifying unknown.
**6. Exit 8 (2025)**
First up, we've got a fresh one straight out of Japan, *Exit 8*. This one’s a proper one-to-one adaptation of a video game, which immediately earns it bonus points in my book. It throws a young fella into the sterile, endless corridors of a Tokyo train station. But he's not just lost; he’s trapped in a looping nightmare, searching for the elusive 'exit 8'. It nails that *Backrooms* feeling of being grounded in the mundane, yet utterly divorced from reality. You know, like when you've been grinding in a dungeon for hours and suddenly question if you even *know* what sunlight looks like anymore. *Exit 8* actually manages to inject a surprising amount of emotional weight into its looping purgatory, making it more than just a simple scare. If you're keen, it's in U.S. theaters now.
**5. The Void (2016)**
Don't let that IMDb rating fool you, mate; *The Void* is a cosmic horror trip that pulls no punches. While it's no *Event Horizon* (a high bar, let's be fair), it definitely captures that *Backrooms* style of turning something ordinary into a labyrinth of pure evil. Instead of yellow hallways, we get a rural hospital surrounded by eerie, robed figures. A simple cop dropping off a patient soon finds himself and a band of unlucky souls trapped in a depraved, otherworldly siege. The folk horror elements twist your perception of reality, much like the *Backrooms* does. Everything feels *wrong*, and that lingering question of 'what the bloody hell is actually going on?' is what makes *The Void* such a compelling, albeit disturbing, watch. That ending, too? Mind-blowing. You can catch this descent into madness on Prime Video.
**4. The Blair Witch Project (1999)**
Nearing its 30th anniversary, *The Blair Witch Project* is practically the ancestor of modern found-footage horror, and honestly, A24’s *Backrooms* probably owes it a pint or two. This isn't about endless hallways, but about college students lost and terrified in a Maryland forest, their sanity fraying with every rustle in the dark. What *Blair Witch* did so brilliantly, and what's arguably more relevant to the digital age, was its viral marketing. Back then, people genuinely believed the footage was real, thanks to 'missing posters' and online forums – a meta-narrative that blurs the lines between fiction and reality, much like how the *Backrooms* creepypasta evolved. While the VHS aesthetic might feel a bit retro now, the sheer sense of dread and disorientation it evokes is timeless. It’s on HBO Max, if you fancy a classic dose of being utterly, hopelessly lost.
**3. Vivarium (2019)**
Right, so *Vivarium*. Honestly, it's one of the weirdest things I’ve seen in ages. Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots play a young couple hunting for a home, only to stumble into a suburban nightmare called Yonder. Imagine an endless, artificial maze of identical houses, completely lifeless, and absolutely no way out. It's an existential horror that perfectly captures the *Backrooms* vibe of being trapped in a surreal, manufactured reality with no discernable exit. You know, like when you're stuck in a tutorial loop in a poorly designed game, but with more dread and fewer respawns. The sheer suffocating artificiality of it all is a masterclass in slow-burn psychological horror. It’s a proper mind-bender and available on Tubi.
**2. Coherence (2013)**
*Coherence* is one of those indie gems that probably flew under your radar but will stick with you long after the credits roll. A dinner party during a comet flyby, eight friends, and then… things get weird. Very weird. It’s less about jump scares and more about reality itself starting to unravel, mirroring the *Backrooms*' mundane purgatory made irrevocably different by forces outside their control. The acting might be a bit raw in places, but the sheer cleverness of the premise makes up for it. It dives deep into uncomfortable questions about identity, paradoxes, and what happens when the fabric of reality decides to have a bit of a giggle. What *would* you do if you met another version of yourself? Or, perhaps more terrifyingly, what would *they* do to you? Find this brain-melter on Prime Video.
**1. Identity (2003)**
My initial thought was to recommend *1408*, another John Cusack flick with some serious liminal space vibes, but *Identity* offers a different, arguably more intriguing, flavour of surreal mystery. Ten strangers are stranded in a rain-soaked Nevada motel, only to start getting picked off one by one. Classic slasher setup, right? But then things take a twist, mate. A proper, reality-shattering twist that elevates it beyond your average whodunit. With a stellar cast including Cusack, Ray Liotta, and Alfred Molina, it’s a masterclass in misdirection and psychological suspense. It keeps you guessing, makes you question everything, and delivers an ending that’s as shocking as it is satisfying. It's the perfect appetizer for the mind-bending feast that A24’s *Backrooms* promises to be. Just try not to lose your own identity while watching this one, eh? It’s streaming on Tubi.
So there you have it, a selection of trippy, terrifying tales to keep your sanity on its toes until A24 lets us properly no-clip into the *Backrooms*. These films, much like the phenomenon itself, remind us that the most terrifying things often lurk just outside the bounds of what we perceive as 'normal'. Happy viewing, and try not to get lost in the hallways between reality and… whatever comes next.
Tags: horror games, psychological horror, found footage, liminal spaces, movie adaptations
Original article: Polygon