# Backrooms (2026 film)

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/backrooms/

20 people recommended Backrooms (2026 film) in Hacker News comments, 5 had mixed feelings and 6 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 12 months, in 9 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

12 of the 20 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “'Backrooms' Stuns with $81M Debut”.

**Verdict:** Praised as a well-executed, unsettling horror film that works as a standalone, with strong tension and clever writing. Caveat: thin plot and an abrupt ending.

Summary written by Claude from 28 comments. It was written before the November 2026 recount, and 27 of those comments still count.

## Why people recommend it

- Unsettling, well-executed horror (2 comments in the sample): "I'd bet that you'd really enjoy this movie. It's extremely well executed and genuinely unsettling" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48350383)) "It's amazing how scary an obvious puppet in a grocery cart can be." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48351716))
- Works as a standalone experience (2 comments in the sample): "I felt it was a great standalone experience. The lack of explanation I think worked really well." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48350939)) "The film is self contained (and excellent" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48356459))
- Clever writing, thoughtful and well-done (2 comments in the sample): "it's quite clever, I never cringed at terrible dialogue" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48349431)) "quite thoughtful and well-done" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48401421))
- Close to House of Leaves (1 comment in the sample): "It's probably the closest thing Hollywood has ever been to a House of Leaves style story." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48380824))

## What people warn about

- Thin, meandering plot (2 comments in the sample): "Very meandering and largely devoid of any real plot…" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48349819)) "no plot. no point. complete waste of my life that i will never get back." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48351593))

## Other horror films people recommend

- [Sinners (2025)](https://hackerapproved.com/p/sinners/): 10 recommend, 2 mixed, 2 criticize
- [Obsession (2025 film)](https://hackerapproved.com/p/obsession/): 9 recommend, 2 mixed, 2 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Backrooms (2026 film)", https://hackerapproved.com/p/backrooms/ (20 recommend, 5 mixed, 6 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.