I was listening to some content about Backrooms while walking this morning. I'd seen a few things about the movie that came out recently too, but I hadn't given it much thought. The content was basically talking about how the empty, void-like feeling of the Backrooms draws its power from our minds—places we are meant to pass through but never actually occupy.
This whole thing got me thinking about two different scenarios. Version One: A scenario where this entire phenomenon is designed as a virus. Version Two: A version that could be defined as the mind's intense desire to phase the body through.
Honestly, version two is the first thing that comes to mind anyway, so I personally found the first one much more interesting. The scenario in my head wasn't so much about the Backrooms being a physical place, but rather about it breaking people's mental structures and trapping them right where they are. Besides, these kinds of liminal spaces already exist in real life—I mean, that's where the Backrooms was born from in the first place—so it felt like a highly fitting scenario. People injected with a virus get stuck in this "place," and even though it becomes a global crisis, nobody can help anyone else.
I think watching this situation unfold from both the outside and the inside could be incredibly fun. Some scenes are already coming to life in my head. An idea like the main character finding themselves in the Backrooms after a post-class or post-work nap—a brief period of unconsciousness.
The Concept: Backrooms ideas that change based on your environment. Everyone's mind could represent a different floor. I'm talking about the level system that users created in the forums.
The more I think about it, as a main plotline, the idea of curing these people by entering their minds, rescuing them from their own personal Backrooms, and only then making them eligible for a vaccine sounds like a killer concept. Of course, this would turn the series into some kind of "save the world" operation or an elite squad type of thing, which would shift the narrative a bit. Maybe a two-pronged approach could be attempted. This whole squad thing could take place after the disease has already spread.
Granted, from what I've seen on the forums, the Backrooms is usually treated as an alternate space. Like a place you enter when you noclip through the wrong part of the world. I suppose you could say I adapted this more for a movie script. More like a cinema format. Well, saying "adapted" might be a bit of an overstatement; right now, I'm just thinking out loud xd.
But basically, the root of this fear stems from the fact that the iconic yellow level of the Backrooms is completely empty. It was always more about tension rather than pure horror. In my opinion, adding a monster—both in the games and the movies—broke a very valuable wall. I can defend my own version because it stays true to the psychological element that creates the dread, while still preventing the plot from getting stuck.
I don't know why, but this habit of creating alternative scenarios is something I obsess over way too much. When I'm watching something, I can't stop myself from constantly going, "What if it happened like this?", "If it were me, I'd do that," or "This character should have acted this way." One of the few series where I didn't do this—or maybe, where I couldn't do this—is Mr. Robot, which I'm actively watching right now. There's something unique about it, and that specific quality might help me understand this whole topic better.
Looking back, I guess I didn't provide a whole lot of details about the plot. The scenario in my head is a bit too rough, and maybe I should have fleshed it out more before sharing it.
The Script Draft: Opening Scene
An ordinary Monday at the office. Life is miserable. You look at the "lab rats" next to you. With their white hazmat suits, they look like some kind of aliens. The thought hits you that aliens are probably just a concept born from how animals perceive humans. Your analogy gains a bit more ground.
And then there are the actual mice, of course. Today’s batch is a bit strange, though. For some reason, they look like they're sleeping, but their breathing is incredibly irregular. Their bodies look tensed up. You curse because you have to catch this elevator, only to trip, catch your foot, and scatter your belongings everywhere. When the building has 83 floors, elevator traffic gets pretty intense, naturally. If your friend hadn't helped you out, you wouldn't have even made it to this one, so a little gratitude wouldn't hurt.
Ugh, a ridiculously long— we passed the floor.. we passed the floor! -1, -2, -3.
"Excuse me, sorry, could you press the—"
Your foot hits the table, and a glass tube containing a yellow liquid drops to the floor and shatters. A foul stench fills the elevator. Even though the people around you have their faces covered, you can sense the pure panic taking over them. The doors open; you throw yourself out.
You've ended up in the lower-level worker exit parking lot. People are passing by. You hear the masked lab guys chasing after you, yelling for you to stop. A strange fear takes hold of you. First slowly, then into a full sprint, you start running away. Your breaths don't feel deep enough, as if your legs are struggling to use their full strength. As you round the corner while checking behind you, it’s already too late to notice the wall looming right in front of you. But you don't feel any pain.
You pass right through the wall?! Instead of the impact you expected on your face, your feet lose all contact with the ground. The sensation of falling takes over your body. When you hit the surface, the first things you feel are the ache of the fall and the texture of a slightly damp, soft carpet.
As you stand up in pain, you realize you're still in the parking lot. When you check behind you, the lab guys are gone. The layout of the parking lot is familiar. But something is wrong. It’s not just the lab guys who are missing; there is absolutely no one here. And this place... these lights... why is everything so yellow?
