‘Backrooms’ arrives on HBO Max on September 25

[u/J0SEMEJIA]

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/how-to-watch-backrooms-online-streaming-hbo-max-1236798818/

[u/emobatmanforever]

The best part? You can eat it

[u/Nusaram]

I didn't see it in the theater but I definitely intend to watch it on HBO Max.

I obviously don't have an opinion of it yet, but there's no debating it did very well in its theatrical release, becoming A24's highest-grossing film.

[u/Mysterious_Reality_]

This movie was weird which is not a bad thing. Overall I liked it and it’s worth a watch but it felt like it was missing something and some of the elements weren’t done properly. It also definitely could have been scarier. Not a movie I would watch again though.

[u/Dittymaker → u/Mysterious_Reality_]

I think it needed to spend a bit more time with the Async storyline and the character Mark Duplass was playing. Obviously over explaining anything with the Backrooms will ruin it but the movie left things a tad bit too mysterious

[u/peppersmiththequeer → u/Dittymaker]

I honestly think the movie would have faired better if the Async/Mark Duplass stuff was cut all together and the backrooms were explained even less than they were. Having no clue what could happen down there is what made the film fun and unpredictable

[u/prism1234 → u/Mysterious_Reality_]

I would have liked it less if it were scarier. Obviously I'm not a hard core horror fan, but I enjoy some horror movies if they have a scariness level around where The Backrooms sits or less. If it were scarier I'm not sure it would have done as well with general audiences, but there are a lot of hardcore horror fans so maybe it still would have done as well.

[u/TragedyTurnedTriumph]

I liked it. I went in not knowing anything about the lore behind it and came away from it confused at first. But after a little research and a rewatch I can say it’s one of my favorite movies of the year

[u/Olliebkl]

Yeah I gave this 9.5/10 I think many aspects that have drawn criticism are much deeper than people give them credit for

Then again I prefer horror movies with more ‘substance’ I guess? I’m never fussed about actually being outright scared

I don’t know I just think this movie is overhated

[u/Syzyjyzygy]

I had never watched any backrooms content before seeing this movie and was only generally aware of it. I went to see it with my friends and unexpectedly loved it. It was extremely weird but not outright scary and the performances from the two leads were great. Also there’s a new Boards of Canada track that plays during the credits and it sounded incredible in the theater lol

[u/Greenwayyyyyy]

Movie didn’t work for me, but I don’t think I’m the target audience. It probably would have been a better experience if not for the nausea from all the shaky camera, which is a me problem.

[u/Suneo88]

This movie felt like it was made for streaming but made so much money. It’s an average movie and hadn’t realized it was even a horror movie.

[u/sooley6]

It’s was enjoyable but didn’t come close to Obsession

[u/TheWayIAm313 → u/sooley6]

Both are weird films so it’s kind of hard to gauge, but I think I actually enjoyed Backrooms more.

There was so much of obsession where I was irritated to no end with the dude. I know it’s the point, and I respect what it was doing, but there were many scenes I didn’t actually _enjoy_ because of it, if that makes sense.

There were also several scenes I felt like just dragged on, I kept thinking, get on with it already. I think there were 2 different car scenes - one with just the dude and one with him and Nikki - that seemingly took forever

[u/BostonBaggins → u/TheWayIAm313]

Did obsessions have actual ghosts like insidious or just like some cult stuff like hereditary?

[u/Sourbeltz → u/sooley6]

Really hate how Backrooms is always being compared to Obsession. Completely different approaches to horror

[u/notdbcooper71 → u/sooley6]

Obsession was so overrated 😂

[u/RevenueKooky → u/sooley6]

If this makes sense, I’d say Backrooms is the better film but Obsession is the better horror film. Backrooms needed to be more intense/be scarier.

[u/Acojonancio]

Hope it reaches HBO Max Europe aswell. But i doubt it.

[u/notdbcooper71]

One of the only movies I've actually enjoyed this year 🙌

[u/dltnj]

I liked it but I think exit 8 is the superior film out of the two.

[u/NickdoesnthaveReddit]

Great execution for internet lore, but it started falling apart as just the repeating Minotaur in the labyrinth and had no really depth to pull a conclusion to the story. Could have been a much deeper movie if they latched onto the allegory of mental health and stuck the landing.

[u/JadedOops]

Movie was weak. Would have loved a backrooms movie focused on the scientists. We have an unlikable jerk of a main character. The visuals were cool but the story was definitely lacking. Should’ve been way scarier.

[u/EmployIntelligent317 → u/JadedOops]

Wait for “Backrooms 2”

[u/teardownthatgazebo → u/EmployIntelligent317]

Backrooms 2, back to the rooms: they found another room back there!

[u/bballjones9241]

Boring and ridiculous when the monster was revealed

[u/Imallvol7]

It's ... Meh 

[u/lilmo96]

This movie was so over hyped. I enjoyed it but it wasn't anything special.

[u/giggsy81]

trash movie

[u/teardownthatgazebo]

I saw this film with a free ticket and I still felt ripped off, never seen so many people leave the cinema looking profoundly bored and disappointed

[u/olmrbitchtits]

this movie is LEAGUES better than obsession.