STACK #264 October 2026

FEATURE MOVIE

Inset: Director Kane Parsons with Chiwetel Ejioofor

GENRE: Horror RUN TIME: 2hr 7m

Fun fact: Kane Parsons is the youngest filmmaker to direct a film that opened at number one at the box office.

What began as a creepy internet image has become one of horror’s most intriguing new worlds, and for filmmaker Kane Parsons, it’s a reflection of the strange times we live in.

Renate Reinsve

A t just 20 years old, Parsons makes his feature filmmaking debut with Backrooms , expanding his hugely popular Kane Pixels YouTube series into an ambitious feature courtesy of A24. The original concept of The Backrooms began with a simple idea: if you somehow “no-clip” out of reality, you might fall into an endless maze of bland, abandoned rooms. Parsons was just 16 when he created The Backrooms (Found Footage) as a visual effects test using Blender and Adobe After Effects. Uploaded to YouTube in 2022, the nine-minute short quickly became a viral sensation. But Parsons sees the concept as more than just an effective horror premise. “For me, Backrooms is the cumulative

result of a societal exhaustion with this industrialised monoculture we’re slipping into,” he explains. “Repetition and patterns in society become like sensory deprivation – eventually the brain tries to find meaning and construct from all the incoherent noise.” That sense of repetition and isolation is central to the unsettling atmosphere of Backrooms , where empty rooms, fluorescent lights, and seemingly endless corridors become increasingly threatening. “When people are isolated from society, they become disconnected and conspiratorial thinking arises,” Parsons says. “How terrifying would it be if that was your existence forever, and all you could do is experience it over and over again?”

The feature expands Parsons’ original vision with Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, who bring a human element to the bizarre dimension. “For audiences who are familiar with The Backrooms , it’s exciting to see this expanded rendition of it, how it utilises and builds upon all the things people have loved about it over the years,” says Ejiofor. “And people who are new to it will be equally fascinated by this world, and Kane’s unique vision, created out of a singular imaginative leap.” For Parsons, that leap has transformed a viral experiment into a distinctly cinematic nightmare – and established him as a singular new voice in horror. Gill Pringle

• Backrooms is out Oct 14

IF YOU LIKE THIS, YOU’LL LOVE THESE:

Exit-8, Obsession, Bring Her Back, Y2K, Triangle, Skinamarink, As Above So Below

GENRE: Documentary RUN TIME: 1hr 46m

Joining a growing roster of rock bands celebrated in recent documentaries, Iron Maiden gets the legacy treatment.

F ew heavy metal bands can match Iron Maiden’s longevity. Emerging from East London as a ragtag outfit, they bulldozed barriers to build a global empire defined by chart success, a fiercely loyal fanbase and mythology that continues to evolve. Formed in 1975, they remain a live force. Burning Ambition captures that endurance with clarity. Their commitment to music and audience is undiminished, and despite hovering on either side of 70, there’s no sense of winding down. Packed with archival footage and photography spanning their career, the documentary takes a linear, no-frills

approach, charting their rise from early struggles to worldwide dominance. For diehard fans, there are few revelations, but the sheer volume of iconic moments and performances makes it compelling. Where the film excels is as an entry point. It welcomes newcomers into Iron Maiden’s world, offering an accessible overview of what has made the band endure. Talking heads, including Tom Morello, Gene Simmons, Chuck D, and Lars Ulrich, add weight, while archival audio from the band members provides a guiding thread. Importantly, the fans are given their due. Personal anecdotes highlight

Maiden’s cultural reach, from everyday listeners to audiences in war-torn regions such as Poland and Lebanon, underscoring their global impact. And then there’s Eddie. The band’s mascot emerges as the film’s most fascinating figure, an evolving symbol that has mirrored shifting cultural moods across decades. It’s a subject rich enough to warrant a documentary of its own. Burning Ambition delivers what it sets out to do. For some, it will feel familiar; for others, revelatory. Either way, it’s hard not to come away wanting to crank Maiden at full volume and throw the horns skyward. Glenn Cochrane

• Burning Ambition is out Oct 28

TOP 5 IRON MAIDEN ALBUMS

Iron Maiden Number of the Beast (1982)

Iron Maiden Piece of Mind (1983)

Iron Maiden Powerslave (1984)

Iron Maiden Killers (1981)

Iron Maiden (1980)

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