It's a success story even I, someone who's terminally online, didn't expect. "Backrooms" has raked in over $200 million at the box office, making it A24's highest-grossing film to date. What started as a creepy pasta is now one of the biggest horror phenomena of the modern era.
"Backrooms" taps into our collective fascination and unease with liminal spaces, places that feel familiar yet undeniably off in a way it's hard to put our finger on. With its endless yellow hallways, eerie silence and constant sense that something might be lurking just out of sight, it's a concept that clearly has captivated audiences.
I'm a huge horror movie fan, and since watching "Backrooms" twice in theaters, I've been racking my brain trying to think of similar movies that capture the same vibe to recommend to people. These are the three movies I think come closest, picks that make you think without skimping on the scares. It's rare I call a horror movie beautiful, but these three all fit that bill. Whether you're looking for stories about people trapped in impossible spaces, surreal nightmares that defy logic or slow-burning psychological horror that leaves more questions than answers, these movies should scratch that same itch.
'The Ritual' (Netflix)
Starting with the inspiration for this list, "The Ritual" is a horror movie that gets richer with every rewatch. It uses a monster movie framework to build a deeply affecting allegory about grief and how much we owe one another. While out drinking one night, two friends, Luke (Rafe Spall) and Robert (Paul Reid), break off from their group to stop by a convenience store and walk into a robbery in progress. Luke manages to hide and watches, terrified, as the burglars kill his friend.
The rest of the group decides to honor Robert's memory by going on a hiking trip in northern Sweden that he suggested the night he was murdered. But as they get deeper into the woods, they become hopelessly lost and begin to suspect a supernatural force may be stalking them. Luke's flashbacks of that night worm their way into the forest around him, fluorescent lights strung throughout the canopy and leaf-strown aisles, in a way I think "Backrooms" fans will find similarly hypnotizing.
Watch "The Ritual" on Netflix now
'Coherence' (Tubi)
For more low-budget "screw with your head" vibes, "Coherence" from director James Ward Byrkit ("Shatter Belt") deserves a spot on your watchlist. It's one of the smartest thrillers I've ever seen, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since the credits rolled — which is saying something since I watch a ton of movies. "Coherence" follows a group of friends (Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, and Nicholas Brendon) who get together for a dinner party on the night a mysterious comet passes overhead.
As the night goes on, unsettling things start to happen, including power outages, eerie déjà vu moments, and inconsistencies that leave both the characters and the audience questioning what is real. They realize the comet has somehow fractured reality, causing multiple parallel universes to overlap. With just a single location, minimal visual effects, and largely improvised performances, "Coherence" delivers a tense and disorienting thrill ride that’s equal parts character drama and sci-fi madness.
Watch "Coherence" free on Tubi now
'Vivarium' (Tubi)
"Vivarium" is the kind of horror-thriller that thrives on unsettling mystery, leaving you fascinated and deeply unnerved in equal measure. It follows young couple Gemma (Imogen Poots) and Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) as they visit a newly built suburban development while on the hunt for their dream home. Almost immediately, something feels off. Every house looks identical, the neighborhood seems impossibly empty, and even the sky has an artificial quality to it. The strangely detached real estate agent guiding them through the maze-like community only adds to the weirdness.
When Gemma and Tom try to leave, they learn they're trapped in an endless loop where every road leads them back to the same house. If being trapped in suburban hell wasn't enough, they soon find a baby on their doorstep along with a promise: raise the child, and they'll be set free. "Vivarium" turns the familiar comforts of suburban life into a waking nightmare with plenty of unsettling twists to keep you guessing what the hell is going on.
Watch "Vivarium" free on Tubi now
More from Tom's Guide
- ‘Backrooms’ review: This YouTube horror movie is ‘Blair Witch’ meets ’Cabin in the Woods’ in the best possible way
- 5 top new movies to stream this week on Netflix, Shudder and more — including the box-office-breaking Michael Jackson biopic (June 9-15)
- Samara Weaving ditches her scream queen vibe in this gripping new crime thriller
