Exploring the Cinematic Connections Between 'Backrooms' and 'One Hour Photo'
The new horror film Backrooms has made a significant impact at the box office, setting new records for an original horror movie's opening weekend. This success follows the unexpected triumph of Obsession. Backrooms centers on a solitary and disenchanted furniture store owner who stumbles upon a hidden entryway beneath his establishment. Venturing through it, he discovers an endless expanse of office-like rooms, filled with familiar yet eerie objects and a peculiar entity.
This film is rooted in the popular "Backrooms" creepypasta, which originated in the 2010s from a single unsettling image of an office space and evolved into an expansive, user-generated sci-fi horror narrative. However, director Kane Parsons has indicated that the movie also draws inspiration from a 2002 horror thriller, notable for one of the most beloved actors delivering a chilling performance.
Mark Romanek's 2002 film, One Hour Photo, stars Robin Williams as Sy Parrish, a lonely photo technician in a department store who develops an unhealthy fixation on a particular customer's family. The movie received critical acclaim, largely due to Williams' transformative and unsettling portrayal of Sy. Known for his charismatic presence, Williams completely immersed himself in the character, making Sy appear meek and almost unnoticeable. In an interview with Letterboxd, Parsons noted that One Hour Photo resonates with the themes of Backrooms, depicting an individual who has become isolated and finds a profound sense of purpose through mundane technical functions in the modern world.
In Backrooms, Chiwetel Ejiofor's character, Clark, becomes so engrossed in his discount furniture business that it damages his personal relationships. Similarly, Sy in One Hour Photo, who appears to have been alone for a considerable time, channels his energy into the meticulous perfection of the photographs he develops. Parsons also shared with Variety that One Hour Photo influenced the visual style of the external world in Backrooms, which is portrayed with an almost too-perfect vibrancy, sharply contrasting with the yellow walls and fluorescent lighting of the Backrooms. One Hour Photo, while celebrated for Williams' performance, also boasts brilliant cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth, known for his work on Fight Club and The Social Network. Much of the film, particularly scenes within the department store, exhibits a pristine quality, with bright lighting and meticulously composed frames that mirror the photographs Sy processes.
While One Hour Photo has its limitations, particularly in its narrative progression failing to consistently match the initial atmospheric promise and Williams' remarkable performance, it remains a compelling character study. Despite the film's shortcomings, it's a testament to Robin Williams' extraordinary talent, offering a glimpse into his versatility that goes beyond his more well-known roles. The film's subtly unsettling atmosphere, characterized by quiet, brightly lit spaces punctuated only by the hum of fluorescent lights, echoes the early, empty passages Clark encounters in the Backrooms, creating a shared sense of eerie isolation between the two cinematic worlds.
