This is a historical weekend in the world of film as A24’s new hit movie “Backrooms” opens in theaters around the world, already grossing an A24 record shattering $90 million dollars, surpassing their former leader’s opening gross at about 25 million. As of this writing, Saturday, the weekend is not even over yet. So far I’ve attended two showings of this movie in two different areas of California, both ending in applause from crowds.
At the heart of the blockbuster achievement is a young film maker named Kane Parsons, a 20 year old master of his craft from Northern California. Young Parsons is a director who marches to his own drum beat, unwilling to give up the genuine vibe from his long standing “Backrooms” You-tube series where he has over 3 millions of followers since the successful series began in early 2022.
His followers on You-tube will be pleased that the feature movie stays faithful to the spirit of what his films have engendered, really to a generation of, especially young people, who have matured in a cultural shakeup of the use of social media and gaming over the last 15 years.
This is quite significant because since the beginning of this wave approximately coincides with Kane when he was 6 years old. It was at that young age, he exhibited his natural passion in film producing. With his mature and practiced insight for filmmaking, he is coincidentally riding a tsunami of this societal shift in communication. He is a growing influencer in this new Age.
His new film “Backrooms” is not a brainless hacker slasher horror film. The actual effort of the collaboration of A24 and Kane’s critical story telling ability, makes developing characters noteworthy and more complex.The resultant acting brings out all the color and nuance and is quite pleasing to a wider spectrum of movie goer, for example, the emotional transitions and subtleties are adding to his film’s qualities.
The film’s lead actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve provide superb portrayals in a film that may be, by those who have not seen it, naively blown off as just another horror film. There is immense joy to see ones work blossom through the abilities of individuals using all their unique talents to bring a writer’s work to vibrant life.
Backroom’s qualities are NOT the result of a cookie-cutting machine that just wants to crunch out a brainless hacker slasher film to satisfy the most degenerate common denominator.
This truly comes back to the director who produces much more than his years would betray. Kane Parsons is a self-aware, unadulterated and clear-visioned artist. That’s a great start for a young man at the beginning of what looks like a very promising future for the record-ripping craftsman.
What about the Gospel?
With all the well deserved accolades said, my articles are about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I would be remiss if I did not see a connection between the thoughtful and radically successful film, which is grounded in a secular science fiction and human suffering.
The Gospel meets people of all needs where ever they are.
Backrooms brings to light some serious human needs in lives that have been shattered by sin. For instance, childhood trauma, broken marriages, broken relationships, workaholism, loneliness, drunkenness, a desperate desire for purpose and meaning, souls crying out for connection, love and acceptance are all part of Backrooms.
O Yahweh, the God of my salvation,
I have cried out by day and throughout the night before You.
2 Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry of lamentation!
3 For my soul has been saturated with calamities,
And my life has reached Sheol. – Psalm 88:1-3
“My soul is loathed by my life;” – begins Job 10
How long, O Yahweh, will I call for help,
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do not save.
3 Why do You make me see wickedness
And cause me to look on trouble?
Indeed, devastation and violence are before me;
And there is strife, and contention is lifted up. – Habakkuk 1:2-3
He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. – A prophesy of the Lord Jesus Christ from Isiah 53:3
“And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the witness which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Master, holy and true? Will You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” – Revelation 6:9-10. Even the saints in heaven will be crying out for God’s ultimate justice on the earth as evil rear its ugly head in mass persecutions.
In the movie, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s, who plays the furniture store owner’s character, finds a moment of solace and acceptance in the altered-dimensional Backrooms, this hints that a place is required where humans can only in an altered dimension might find ultimate peace for their weary souls.
On the other hand, the therapist portrayed by Renate Reinsve, is also confronted with an unresolved darkness that threatens to imprison her in life of fruitless professional pursuits.
The Lord Jesus promises joy, peace and fulfillment in the eternal kingdom in both relationships and with heavenly physical dwellings. Adoption and benefits of the kingdom begin in this life.
Jesus Christ the hospitable Savior
14 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me. 7 If you have come to know Me, you will know My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” – John 14:1-7- these are eternal rewards of faith in the works of Jesus Christ and the power of the Gospel.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28. The main characters in the movie were striving to find a solution to their brokenness, a genuine light at the end of the tunnel of their works to achieve what only the Creator can provide, a lasting and eternal solution to humankinds deep seated problems.
In closing, Kane Parsons has great creative talents, A24 gave him an opportunity and he hit a homerun. In the Biblical perspective, all good gift, particularly outstanding human talents are gifts from God. God is the Creator. Those who have talents are called to put their talents to good use for the kingdom of God. For his namesake, Parsons, may suggest both past and future great works for the kingdom. This is a time when a captive generation is in need for the ultimate solution to the horrors of the liminal dimensions.
Now for a spoiler alert. Do not read further because it will describe a critical scene in some detail.
A Metaphor for Hell (my take not the director’s)
I repeat: Now for a spoiler alert. Do not read further unless you learn too much about a critical scene in the movie.
While there is a fair amount of realistic swearing in the movie, for example when Clark’s frustration with mysterious power problems in the store, there is one use of blaspheme that caught my attention and if I’m not mistaken it is the only time in the movie the name “Jesus Christ” is exclaimed. This instance occurs in the most terrifying buildup as the innocent “research” collaborators, played by Lukita Maxwell & Finn Bennett, follow along with Clark’s unquenchable drive to explore the Backrooms which has led him to a place that, I would call, a metaphor for Hell.
In the lead up this scene of ultimate terror is Kat (Lukita Maxwell), becoming overrun with anxiety with the horrifying possibilities of danger in this overwhelming surrreality. Her fear is palpable from the beginning yet she obligates herself to follow Bobby, her boyfriend, if not for anything else, to continue pleading with him not to venture down this dangerous path. High on some kind of drug, probably marijuana, Bobby, who has the necessary camcorder (the quintessential Backrooms prop), feels emboldened to follow Clark into this adventure. Meanwhile, Kat’s pleading becomes more intense more passionate, laced with the sweat of fear, as they reach this tunnel, this dark ominous passageway to another mysterious compartment.
With a safety line tied to him by Clark, Bobby continues trusting in bravado, but it’s not long after he begins walking down this tunnel that the unexpected slipperiness becomes more apparent, until he slides uncontrollably into a dark room that I call “the waste room.” In the room are the personal artifacts, mostly clothing, that are piled in heaps of trash, in a room that is starkly opposite of the familiar brightly lit yellow. These personal artifacts are symbolic of the external trappings of people, of things we value that have become nothing more than refuse in the ultimate reality of the Backrooms. There’s a stench and a palpable sense of a loss of life if not the loss of meaning in life as Bobby searches the room.
Then, the terror begins, abject terror. Bobby senses some kind of danger lurking in the shadows and all pretense has evaporated into worthlessness. Courage is lost, panic hits. Somewhere in this sequence, faced with imminent and mortal danger, Bobby’s calls out in fear, “Oh, Jesus Christ!”
We do not know with any certainty that this was mere blaspheme or did something deeper in Bobby’s soul drawing upon a relationship with the Lord. In either case, the significance is not lost.
Without divulging any more details from this scene, I am deeply reflective on how this characterizes the folly of man in the face of the warnings offered by God’s divine prophecy and the warnings of Jesus Christ Himself.
Somewhere in static of the world we all are exposed to the sincere pleading not unlike Kat who has come to tears in hopes that her love will turn away from impending danger. Through his freedom to choose, he continues despite her trailing tears and frantic efforts to make him turn.
Many preachers have believed that the Gospel should be delivered with tears in effort to draw people to the saving grace of God. The realities of eternal judgment, of the torment, if not an even more overwhelming terror that results from an unprotected facing of Holy God, these are not often emphasized to the average Christian proselyte when the fear of making them uncomfortable has greater precedence than the truth revealed through love of a holy and righteous God. In that regards, how can anyone remain without tears of desperation and exhortation?
From the Psalms: The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; – Psalm 111:10
These words of Jesus are exhortation:
And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Himwho is able to destroy both soul and body in hell – Matthew 10:28
For the sake of this article highlighting a crossing between Backrooms and the Gospel, I return to Kat, (impressed with her portrayal and well as Kane Parson’s directing) who is desperately pleading with her love to not continue going down this road that leads to the terror that awaits.
For a one minute explanation of the Gospel from the late Pastor John MacArthur, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCP9UcC7BzE
For a review of the Ten Commandments: https://www.challenyee.com/the-ten-commandments/
All quoted excerpts have footnotes removed, usually from Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), sometimes from New International Version (NIV), on rare occasion the Amplified Bible (AMP).
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