Kane Parsons, the 17‑year‑old YouTuber who turned a viral 2022 short into a feature, has his horror debut Backrooms opening in cinemas worldwide. The teen taught himself After Effects and Blender, amassing nearly 80 million views before A24 tapped him to direct the full‑length adaptation. Despite his age, the movie delivers polished 4K tension that rivals studio‑backed scares for mainstream audiences.

The rise of Parsons follows a wave of internet creators crossing into Hollywood, from Markiplier’s self‑released Iron Lung to the Philippou brothers’ genre titles. Historically, new talent emerged from low‑cost mediums—live TV in the ’40s, music videos in the ’80s—so the web serves as the latest proving ground. Studios now scout YouTube channels as fertile talent pools and investors.

The film follows a disgruntled furniture‑store owner, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who discovers a portal to the endless maze in his building’s basement and teams with therapist Renate Reinsve to map its geometry. While the script leans on atmosphere over character depth, the unsettling set design and relentless dread keep audiences on edge. Backrooms proves that digital‑first creators can deliver theatrical horror and critical acclaim.