__ ݁.𖦹˚est(her)

do you consider yourself open minded..?

As an architecture student, I was fascinated by how Backrooms turned architectural psychology into horror.

A lot of people say there wasn't enough horror because there wasn't a monster constantly chasing the characters and because there's no jumpscares, but I don't think they realize the monster was the architecture itself. And also, it's a psychological thriller and borderline horror. There's a difference. Grow up.

The film uses things we rely on to orient ourselves in space like landmarks, hierarchy, rhythm, daylight, scale, and spatial memory, then removes them or distorts them.

1. That's why Casino's don't have windows. It keeps you occupied and lose track of time. They literally distort your perception of time.

2. That's why shopping malls have looping layouts so you're forced to explore around. Like IKEA, you're psychologically “led” through a curated sequence, minimizing shortcuts and maximizing exposure to products.

3. That's why theme parks have carefully hidden service areas, controlled sightlines, immersive “world bubbles" to make you mentally stay inside a narrative environment where outside cues are eliminated.

But with Backrooms, it's manipulation of space and time and everything. All your senses are manipulated. Every room feels slightly familiar but never fully readable, so your brain keeps trying to build a mental map and failing.

What makes it scary isn't what is in the space, but what the space does to the mind. Humans constantly construct cognitive maps to understand where we are, but Backrooms breaks that process.

The circulation goes nowhere, the repetition erases reference points, and the environment sits in that unsettling zone between recognition and alienation. It creates disorientation, isolation, and paranoia without needing anything supernatural.

That is also why the concept went viral. Liminal spaces, dreamcore, whatever you call it. It feels endless, familiar yet unfamiliar, and deeply convincing in its emptiness. The suspense comes from thinking something else must be there with you, even when there is nothing. That uncertainty is the horror.

Adding paranormal elements often weakens it, because the original fear already comes from space itself, not from what might be inside it.

Hell, even the shot of Mary's "neighborhood" fucked me up because it looks exactly like the ones we see online and how it looks unoccupied.

Backrooms is really just architecture and human perception turned into a mechanism of fear.

I didn't want this room to feel like a scientist's room. I wanted it to feel like Ryland Grace's room– someone trying to rebuild a quieter life around teaching, curiosity, routine, and the small things that still make him look up at the sky. Maybe not everything from his old life stayed with him, but the wonder did.

I'm an architecture student and wanted to broaden my PHM obsession outside of just writing and reading. So I made my own interpretation of how I think his room would look like ^°^

I feel that he wouldn't keep anything visual from his academia years. No pictures. Nothing. Except for some books that he occasionally reads about his field because he wants to be up to date about what's happening. Maybe some books from his PhD. Also think he would have boring millennial decor because why not.

He would also probably have a work station with a big whiteboard to write down and practice his lectures and discussions because being new to teaching kids would need him to simplify his use of scientific linggo. Also, maybe some science posters just because hehe.

His room would be clean as fuck. I believe he complained about his ex- girlfriend Linda that she was messy and all over the place with her things.

I ALSO THINK HE WOULD WRITE LITTLE POST-IT NOTES FOR HIMSELF AND HIS STUDENTS ^°^ Yellow would be his weekly reminders, Pink would be to keep track of his students– if they're okay and if he needs to be there for them or anything. And green, just for daily assurance <3

He would also probably have a telescope just to stargaze, he teaches about the solar system after all. (Headcanon that he probably raves to his students about things he sees in the night sky the following day! Would probably take pictures on his phone from the scope to zoom in on the planets ^°^)

And lastly his books and music. I think he would have a vinyl record player with all his favorite songs playing. He would probably put a poster of an album that he's currently listening to. In this case, Abbey Road by The Beatles. I also think he's a fan of colorful vintage posters of his favorite movies!

I think that's why I loved designing this so much. It stopped becoming, "what would a fictional character's room look like?" And started becoming "what kind of space would help someone feel okay again?" And for Ryland Grace, I think it would've looked something like this.

As what Commander Yao told Grace, “There is no bravery gene. You just need to find someone to be brave for.”

Cooper found that courage in his daughter. Grace found it in Rocky.