Avan Jogia in A24'S Backrooms: Everything You Need to Know Before Watching
By David Miller
The horror of The Backrooms does not rely on gore. It feeds on liminal space theory: locations that serve as transitions, stripped of their expected occupants. Hallways without doors. Office suites without cubicles. Stairs leading directly into drywall.
The design pulls directly from mid-century office planning and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s historic 1892 psychological study The Yellow Wallpaper, where monotonous, sickly patterns induce mania. Inside Parsons' visual framework, the yellow wallpaper is an environmental hazard. The ambient drone of 60Hz magnetic lighting mimics low-grade auditory hallucinations. When a human walks miles in an empty, damp grid, their sensory apparatus begins fabricating patterns. The wire-like lifeforms roaming the halls are terrifying precisely because they might be anomalous organic matter, or they might be physical manifestions of spatial decay. By maintaining practical sets for Jogia to navigate rather than leaning purely on green screens, the production team grounds that claustrophobic madness in physical space.
David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.
