'I'm Blown Away' — Hideo Kojima Can't Get Enough of Kane Parsons' Backrooms Movie
Hideo Kojima had high praise for Kane Parsons’ Backrooms, remarking on how the film reminded him of the maze-like maps and polygonal look of early video games.
21-year-old Kane Parsons made a strong directorial debut with Backrooms, which released to critical acclaim and broke several records on release in May 2026.
The liminal horror flick adapted the popular online creepypasta of the same name, which first surfaced on 4chan and has since spiraled into a community-driven initiative with multiple subgenres, video games, short films, and much more.
Famed game director and noted cinephile Hideo Kojima has now gotten around to watching it, and left a glowing review of the movie on his English social media account that gives readers some insight into what the early days of game development were like.
In his post, Kojima said he was “blown away” by the film and described Backrooms as “a world where nostalgia and novelty attack you in the form of ‘art,’” saying it reminds him of “pseudo-3D games from the 2D era, back in the dawn of RPGs and the Family Computer (NES), before polygons and textures existed.”
“Simulated 3D spaces built from looping, repetitive visuals: digital labyrinths unconstrained by the rules of architecture. I used to draw maps on graph paper just to keep track of where I was. That sense of confinement. That feeling of anxiety. Both are revived here in live action. The art direction is clever, incorporating elements of art, architecture, and psychology. This is a 21st-century liminal-space version of ‘CUBE,’ a work of surrealism and cubism in which video games of the 1980s and the modern world connect across dimensions.”
The BackroomsA world where nostalgia and novelty attack you in the form of "art." I'm blown away. It reminds me of pseudo-3D games from the 2D era, back in the dawn of RPGs and the Family Computer (NES), before polygons and textures existed. Simulated 3D spaces built from… https://t.co/S7qgnmdpsF— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) July 30, 2026
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The BackroomsA world where nostalgia and novelty attack you in the form of "art." I'm blown away. It reminds me of pseudo-3D games from the 2D era, back in the dawn of RPGs and the Family Computer (NES), before polygons and textures existed. Simulated 3D spaces built from… https://t.co/S7qgnmdpsF
Kojima’s reaction to Backrooms has spawned no end of both jokes and heartfelt responses from fans, with one writing, “I think you and Kane Parsons would have a lot to talk about.”
“You know what you must do: scan Kane Parsons,” another joked, referencing Kojima’s penchant for scanning actors into his games like Death Stranding and the upcoming OD.
Thus far, Parsons hasn’t responded to Kojima’s comments on Backrooms. However, he recently spoke out after fans reported that their artwork was getting copy striked on behalf of A24 on platforms like RedBubble. Parsons spoke with the studio and the strikes were released, saying A24 has “been insistent since day one on keeping the community protected, as it always has been.”
Backrooms’ success has also opened doors for other creepypasta-inspired films, with movies for Siren Head, Cartoon Cat, and the Mandela Catalogue getting greenlit.
Image Credits: Rosdiana Ciaravolo/Getty Images, A24/Kane Parsons
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.