Backrooms began its premium video-on-demand release on Tuesday, July 14, giving audiences their first chance to watch Kane Parsons’ breakout film at home after its theatrical run. The movie is now available to buy or rent on major digital platforms, with a purchase price of $24.99 and a 48-hour rental option expected to cost $19.99.
The timing matters because Backrooms did not arrive as just another title moving out of theaters. Parsons, 20, turned a YouTube series built around the internet horror phenomenon of the same name into a film that grossed more than $360 million worldwide and more than $190 million in North America, with a domestic debut of more than $81 million. That made him the youngest filmmaker to direct a movie that opened at No. 1 at both the domestic and global box office.
Apple TV and Prime Video are among the retailers carrying the film, and the pre-order window had already opened before the PVOD rollout began. For viewers who wanted the title the moment it shifted from cinemas to living rooms, July 14 was the first day they could pay to watch it without waiting for a subscription service.
That wait is still the unfinished part of the release plan. A24 has not announced when Backrooms will stream on a subscription service, and it has not said when the film may turn up on HBO Max, Hulu or Netflix. There is also no official word on a Blu-ray, DVD or 4K release, which leaves the digital buy-and-rent window as the only home option for now.
For Parsons and A24, the release marks the start of the film’s second life, not the end of it. The box-office hit has moved from theaters to paid digital access, but the next step is still open: when, and where, the rest of the audience will be able to watch it without paying twice.
