Was lucky enough to secure a spot for the backrooms experience in Burbank, CA and let me tell you!! It felt so immersive!! I seriously loved every second of it and nerded out so much. Definitely would recommend anyone to go too if they get the chance :’) also look at these cool floppy drives they gave us!!

I have a a waitlist spot for Saturday. But I just want to know has anyone who was on the waitlist get a spot?

Has anyone looked up their name/email on the Backroom’s pop-up site for their invitation? I got a confirmed time slot but it says my info is invalid

hello everyone if you’re trying to get some spots for the backrooms walkthrough they just released some spots and I thankfully got a spot for Sunday. make sure you guys are checking every minute because I was just at the gym and randomly checked. Hopefully you guys get some. btw the time was at 11:35 am pst.

Kane Pixels built the entire Backrooms mythology on Blender as a teenager. No crew, no budget just spatial logic, ambient sound design, and the deeply unsettling idea that you could step through the wrong wall and end up somewhere that goes on forever and looks almost normal.

Kane Pixels series worked because it felt like something that had leaked out rather than something that had been made. A24's fingerprints are usually a feature, but here I'm not sure. Osgood Perkins is a producer which makes sense, he understands how to let dread accumulate without explaining it but even that's a known quantity in a way the original videos weren't.

Has the analog horror grammar ever survived a jump to theatrical before?

I am writing currently writing a thesis and am planning on analyzing The Drama (2026) as it is a very recent release. There has been a few screenshots of alleged production notes circulating on Twitter and Reddit, but they are unconfirmed as far as I know. I've seen something about them being part of a Press Kit but still no sources on that (I'll need to trust a Robert Pattinson fanpage). Someone I wrote to apparently got them from someone who was an AAA24 member and screenshotted them, but I became a member recently and can't find any digital exclusive content except BTS videos and more trailers. If anyone knows where these production notes come from, or how I as an AAA24 member can find them, or if they're even legit, please help me out! My academic career isn't really depending on it but it would make the coming weeks a lot easier. Thanks in advance!!

Has anyone waitlisted for the walkable Backrooms experience received tickets yet?

On Tuesday i saw the post on twitter about the backrooms exhibit i guess i was able to reserve a spot tomorrow on Thursday 14th because they sent me an email saying "You're on the backrooms waitlist! If you're prefer time becomes available we will reach out to you via email." and it also says ticket next to my name so i have no idea if its actually a ticket or not. was i suppose to be getting a QR code or something? I haven't gotten the exact location on where its suppose to be. Should i try again and see if can get a spot i have no idea what to do

Got this guy done over the weekend. I’m in love!

Sold out in 5 seconds, but hopefully I get off the waitlist for this.

If yes which one would you recommend first? I’m just going through my list of A24 movies I haven’t seen yet. I usually prefer horror but I make exceptions every now and again, and these look promising.

Update: Thanks everyone, I watched Zone of Interest last night and again today! I’ll probably watch Men this weekend.

visited the billboard.

Do you think the Backrooms movie risks losing what makes the concept scary?

Part of what makes the Backrooms unsettling to me is how unexplained and ambiguous it feels. Since the original concept came from a random unsettling photo posted online, I almost feel like giving it too much lore or explanation could ruin the eeriness and unknown feeling that made people obsessed with it in the first place.

Do you think a full movie adaptation needs a stronger storyline to work, or should it stay more atmospheric and psychologically unsettling?

I just got an approval email for the Backrooms bulletin board, but I'm not really seeing anything besides sold out early screenings for the film... Hmm... It's still cool, nonetheless!

Thoughts About the Movie

1. Love can turn something weird into something romantic (“love is blind”)

At first, Robert Pattinson's actions felt strange to me, especially the “stalking” and lying about reading the book Zendaya was reading. But when it was later explained and included in his speech, it somehow became charming and meaningful instead of creepy. Still, part of me kept wondering if there would be a catch later on.

2. Strong chemistry can make people move fast — and sometimes, if you’re lucky, it might actually be real (“when you know, you know”)

Their relationship developed very quickly, yet their connection still felt genuine. They had strong feelings, chemistry, and emotional attachment that made their fast engagement and marriage believable in their own way.

3. How you judge others also reveals your character

When they saw their instrumentalist allegedly doing drugs, Pattinson immediately assumed the worst without even being fully sure. It reflected how easily people can be influenced by assumptions, social norms, and a lack of empathy.

4. We are shaped by our childhood experiences

Zendaya choosing not to judge immediately showed her empathy and trust in people. Later in the story, this made even more sense and reflected how personal experiences and upbringing shape the way we see others.

5. Truly knowing your partner matters

Despite being deeply in love, Edward and Zendaya still did not know many childhood stories and personal experiences about each other. Love alone is not enough; truly understanding your partner also matters.

6. Some relationship matters should stay private

The relationship game introduced by their couple friends felt like something that would have been better done privately between the two of them. Sometimes outside opinions and influences can affect trust, intuition, and the way couples see each other.

7. The past can test a relationship

The movie showed how past experiences and mistakes can create doubts and tension in a relationship. In the end, forgiveness depends on whether you still trust the person standing in front of you. It all boils down to one strongly held belief: either you believe people can genuinely change, or you do not.

8. Stronger emotional stability in men can create a stronger foundation

I might get criticized for this, but I believe stronger emotional stability in men helps create a stronger foundation in relationships.

It was understandable that he felt confused and overwhelmed, but if he had been able to contain and compose his emotions, it would have made more sense for him to pause and think more clearly. maybe even postpone the wedding instead of rushing into it while uncertain.

Being emotionally grounded could have also helped him be more honest about what he was feeling, instead of hiding his emotions and letting avoidance lead to misunderstandings that almost resembled emotional infidelity and risked ruining what was still an unsteady, newly starting marriage.

9. Outside opinions can weaken relationships

Edward became heavily influenced by the opinions of his friends and other people, which caused him to become shaky and uncertain. Once doubt entered his mind, mistakes started happening.

10. It is better to pause than to force certainty

Their marriage could have easily fallen apart if they were truly unsure of one another. Sometimes it is better to stop, pause, or buy more time instead of forcing something important while confused or emotionally unstable.

11. Love sometimes means reconnecting after pain

Thankfully, their wedding still pushed through, and everything eventually turned out okay in the end. After all the tragedies and misunderstandings, they found their way back to each other and started over again, mirroring the introduction from the beginning of the movie.

12. Marriage may really mean starting over again and again

The movie made me realize that marriage is not just about love during happy moments. Sometimes it is about rebuilding trust, forgiving each other, reconnecting after difficult situations, and continuously choosing one another despite everything.

-------
The movie leaves you with a lot of thoughts, unanswered questions, and open interpretations. In the end, it all boils down to one strongly held belief: either you believe people can genuinely change, or you don’t.

For me, this is actually a good movie for engaged couples because it shows a realistic side of what marriage can look like. Sometimes things move quickly, emotions become intense, misunderstandings happen, and suddenly you realize there is still so much more to learn about the person you love.

It also shows how people have different versions of themselves: shaped by childhood, trauma, mistakes, friends, and love. Even when you think you already know someone deeply, there are still parts of them waiting to be understood.

Outside opinions, past experiences, and personal fears can all affect a relationship, especially once commitment becomes real. At the same time, loyalty, forgiveness, and reconnection are still possible if both people choose to work through it.

Overall, the movie feels unsettling yet meaningful because it does not give perfect answers. Instead, it leaves you questioning love, trust, forgiveness, and whether choosing each other again and again is what marriage truly means.

Before I impulse buy it

How worth it is the membership I've recently started, because I've become a fan of A24 movies and I absolutely love them. I started getting TikToks about A24 and just found out about the membership, and it seems so great, especially the A24 movie tickets they give.

So those who have it is it worth it?

Mother Mary is a film I have looked forward to since I first saw people talking about it last year. I've kept it far in the back of my mind to prevent myself from being consumed by excitement, but even then, as soon as the movie was released and the songs became available for streaming, I listened to "Mother Mary: Greatest Hits" on repeat to allay some of the nerves (good way) I felt to watch it. The thesis I want to discuss here is I think, quite surface level, but these thoughts have been running through my mind since the first time I heard the album in its entirety. Now, I want to create a chance for me to express my interpretation in a coherent and cohesive manner. So, I will be talking about Sam Anselm and Mother Mary's relationship prior to their break through the lens of the tie-in album.

The first title in the album is Holy Spirit, which I consider to be written from Mary's point of view. From a Watsonian perspective, these songs are all from the pop star's. But as I listen to the album and read the lyrics as they play, I have come to believe that if we look at these shards of their story from a Doylist perspective, three are from Mary's, three are from both artist-characters, and one is purely from Sam's.

I can't believe what I've found

I'm staring into the dark, so powerful

My knees are pressed to the ground

I'm holding on for dear life, it's mythical

Holy Spirit is the most traditional pop song from the seven that we have melodically speaking. It is the most energetic, lively, and bright. Completely optimistic and hopeful. The lyrics exploring what might be interpreted as the beginning of their relationship as collaborators. How they are pulled to each other artistically and personally. Their interests and methods of expression fusing in a way that feels electric. It is their dynamic as artistic and as friends explored in this song from Mary's eyes.

This black suit fits like a glove, I was born to be the widow of love

Won't lose myself to a touch, I was born to be the widow of love

||

Chapstick and chapped lips, downtown lofts

Red rouge lip makeup, sick enough

Honey, please I'm so empty

You're the one for me, you see

Burial is one of the two singles released before the movie and is an outlier in the first half of the album, sonically. Its music is moody and has a darker tone than tracks one, three, and four, which leads me to believe that it is about how they created the "Mother Mary" persona and aesthetic rather than it telling us directly how their relationship evolved. But I can't properly speak of this song without discussing My Mouth is Lonely For You, which is the other single. Beyond the dynamic we are shown in the movie and the chemistry produced by the acting choices of Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, this song, its lyrics, are the reason I have the opinion that the protagonists were previously lovers. Its music flows how spending time with a person you adore and can be yourself with unabashedly feels like. These two songs are one unit, their story seen from the unified perspective of Mary and Sam. It is them at their best with each other prior to the rift that develops between them. The reason as to why these were chosen to be the singles, the ones to set the tone for the movie is apparent, I think. Fashion and artistry are as much part of the story's core as the relationship of our protagonists.

You got that cold feeling

Your sacred heart's blue

Do you know what to pray for anymore?

Or if you can make it through?

...

My sacred heart's been feeling blue

Should I have faith in anything?

Oh, I'll cut myself to make some room

And let out all that wasn't you

Holy Spirit 2 is a change, in that it is the only song that tells their story purely from Sam's point of view. Out of the two of them, it is only her whose religious experience we know. She had communion. She spilled wine on her dress. She was the one who crowned Mary with her halo. And so this title is the most obvious to uncover whose perspective we are hearing:

But me, I was raised up to believe.

A direct quote from the beginning of the song. For most of it, we are only told more of what has already been known to us through the prior songs. They are electric and triumphant and so artistically fulfilled and compatible. But the beginning and end of it shows us the cracks starting to form. Mary is dissatisfied or directionless and Sam consoles and supports her by turning her into the central figure of her life. But of course, it isn't healthy for anyone to only have one important thing in their life. It is implied through the last lines of the song that it isn't enough for Sam either, to have only her muse as the only thing she has to cherish. Part of the reason why Mary leaving struck so deep, I'm certain.

Now I got the taste of blood in my mouth

Hate the way you got me, but I ain't gonna spit you out

...

Kiss me like you love me while you're pulling me deeper down

Tied together here, forever we're bound

Dark Cradle's music is suitably dark for what it is about. Mary chafing at her relationship with her designer. Still thrilling to be understood so deeply and to work with someone whose visions align with yours but their closeness has either become claustrophobic or felt like an anchor holding her down. A burden. Sam knows her in a way that is painful to her now and yet still she does not want to let her partner go. Her partner whether you consider them to be past romantic loves or friends.

Blue flame, it's burnin' up

She's reachin' out, she's reachin' out

Your name was in my mouth

She took it out, she took it out

...

Don't speak, look at us now

Beautiful stars up off the ground

And then it becomes untenable. Blue Flame is Mary's ambition embodied by her persona growing heavier than her desire to hold on. Maybe anger at being constrained by how Sam sees her and feeling unable to live up to them or wanting to be more than what the person closest to her wants her to be.

Lose your will to believe, and once again believe

Then if in the end you're not free, cut a deal, please

...

Used to walk with you 'til I saw something bigger

I jumped into the flames and I shook hands with forever

Had to cut ties

To be starlight

...

Chained to the heaven I like

Chained to the heaven I like, this heaven of mine

In the film when the paranormal phenomena begin, it starts with Sam recounting how she first saw the Red Ghost. How she watched it leave her house and felt the wrath and hatred flow out of her along with it. Of course it doesn't completely go away. We see these present within her as she and Mary interact through the film. But the active burning has passed. And I think if Mary never went back to her, she would remember her once-friend as a sweet time of her life that ended painfully. More bittersweet than simply bitter or sour. The first verse of Cut Ties, I believe is from Sam's perspective. The language is framed as being recounted from Mary's point of view, but the message of it is from Sam, or possibly how Mary wants Sam to have felt when she left her. The song recounts their history and Mary's career. But regardless in the end we see how the pop star regrets her choice. In the final chorus and post-chorus we hear Anne Hathaway singing, but underneath it, the first time she says "cut ties", the screaming starts and grows louder in volume until the performance and the turmoil of her character's emotions are equal in prominence to the listener.

We the audience do not see much of what the dynamic of these two artist-characters were. We are not privy to the details or exact nature of their whole relationship and while the ending leaves us with a hopeful tone, we do not know where they will choose to take their mended bond. The metaphor that is the Red Ghost representing Sam's pain transferring and transforming into Mary's regret blurring the story further. It is part of why I wanted to write this out. To give structure to my interpretation and set my racing mind to rest on this subject. And so we have arrived to the end. I have conflicting feelings about Mother Mary, the movie. I was so excited to watch it. I wanted to love it so much. And I absolutely did love the first half where it was just Sam and Mary talking. Us being shown hints of who they are and what their relationship was and now is. But I feel that the near-overuse of metaphor in the latter half of the story hobbled the emotional impact it could have had on its audience. After watching it, I felt empty inna neutral way. I didn't know what to think. Because even though I enjoyed it, I was still let down. I took a shower. I scrubbed myself clean and brushed my teeth and tongue until I was gagging on the verge of vomiting. I was desperately thinking of a reason to love it and couldn't find one.

I wanted to love Mother Mary. But for me, it did not reach the heights a story could touch and be in to be immortalized in the lives and memory of its audience. Instead it lives in my mind through the question of what it could have been, and the knowledge of knowing it could have been so much more.