Severance-Inspired Movie Backrooms Promises Terrifying Twist on TV Series

Severance is one of the best shows on TV, and an exciting new A24 movie looks to capture much of the show’s compelling energy. While Apple TV’s science fiction storytelling in Severance is among the best on television today, it cannot be denied that audiences have had to wait a long time between seasons of the acclaimed series.

Nearly three years passed between the release of the first two seasons of Severance, and season 3 has not yet begun filming. While there are other shows and movies like Severance, nothing has quite scratched the same itch, leaving many wanting more. Fortunately, one of 2026’s most anticipated movies is nearly here to fill that void.

A24’s Backrooms Looks An Awful Lot Like Severance

The new trailer for A24’s Backrooms was just released, and has already drawn countless comparisons to Apple TV’s Severance. Steeped in a tense aura of claustrophobia, the new trailer depicts a therapist’s search for her patient inside an unsettling space packed full of mysteries and horrors alike.

The footage clearly pulls from several influences, including the Mark Z. Danielewski novel House of Leaves, which also depicts a house that seems to grow and change as one ventures through it. Crafting an unsettling atmosphere from familiar architecture, director Kane Parson’s debut feature shares some similarities with Apple TV’s hit series.

These comparisons make sense, and the original iteration of Backrooms was one of many influences on Severance. Initially existing as posts on 4chan depicting mundane locations that felt off, the lore of Backrooms expanded significantly through the years, tapping into the mystery inherent to the setup.

During a Reddit AMA with series creator Dan Erickson, the Apple TV showrunner was asked about the influences on his science fiction series. Among many projects, including The Incredibles and The Matrix, Erickson credited the original Backrooms creepypasta as an inspiration

How Backrooms Is Different From The Apple TV Series

While there are clear comparisons to be found between Severance and Backrooms, the two are also very different. Severance unspools a surprisingly grounded mystery throughout its runtime, playing with clever science fiction concepts about identity while lampooning ideas of corporate culture.

Backrooms, meanwhile, taps far more directly into horror. While little of what could possibly be contained in the liminal spaces of the film’s setting is shown in the trailer, it must be noted that the online lore has contained various supernatural monsters and horrors. Iterations of these will likely be present in the film.

Like Severance, Backrooms boasts an incredible cast, which includes Chiwetel Ejiofor and the incomparable Renate Reinsve, unraveling mysteries inside of a discomforting and yet familiar setting. However, that is where the comparisons stop. Backrooms promises to provide a much more terrifying experience when it is released later this year.