The Limits of Therapy | Backrooms (2026) and the maze of our broken world

Backrooms (2026) Poster

The movie Backrooms (2026) proved that a 20-year old, Kane Parsons, with a small budget can make a more compelling film than Spielberg this summer. (Hint: don't bother watching Disclosure Day (2026)).

Backrooms (2026)  is about a furniture store owner who discovers a portal in his basement that leads to a maze-like set of hallways and backrooms. When he goes missing, his therapist goes after him. Not everyone’s going to like this film. It’s quite violent and has lots of language. And it’s actually quite scary. Obsession (2026), which I reviewed above, didn’t interrupt my sleep but this one did! 

The movie offers an interesting reflection on trauma, memory, and behavior, exposing the reality that therapy by itself cannot save us. Living in a sin-stained world can make us feel lost in a maze. The solution: we need something objective – like God’s Word – to reorient us. This doesn't mean therapy cannot help, it just means that it's not fully competent to counsel. We need the Word of God for that. 

I couldn’t get this movie out of my mind– I journaled multiple pages on it. Despite that - this movie isn’t for your kids, and if you don’t like horror, it’s not for you either. 

Again, I'm encouraged by the fresh filmmakers coming out of Hollywood. But before they become mainstream, I hope they learn from Hitchcock: there's a way to stir anxiety and fear in an audience without showing the violence or sexuality explicitly.

The first two thirds of the movie are the most effective, as Parsons leaves what's lurking behind the walls up to our imagination. Something that makes a great psychological thriller. Because the final third took a violent turn, I'm not sure how often I'll return to Backrooms (2026). And yet, it's always good to point out wisdom when it presents itself, even in ugly and unwelcome places. 

---

Dane Bundy

Dane Bundy is President of Stage & Story and Director of Fine Arts at Regents School of Austin.