[spartanatreyu]

No spoilers below:

The movie was great but it's not a stand-alone movie, it is a small piece of the full story so don't go in thinking that everything will be explained and tied up in a neat little bow.

The movie takes place in Kane Pixel (the movie director's) youtube series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVAh-MgDVqvDUEq6qDXqO...

It makes a lot more sense if you watch the full youtube series first.

[collinmcnulty]

I am aware of the existence of the web series but have never seen any of it, and I felt it was a great standalone experience. The lack of explanation I think worked really well.

[mrandish]

I haven't seen the movie yet. While the entire YT series is good, the part I liked best (and am most interested in going forward) was the later episodes where some mysterious organization starts exploring the Backrooms for unknown reasons. I really dug the more sci-fi X-Files / Stranger Things vibe than straight horror but the web series stopped before that direction was ever developed. It sure felt like it could be going somewhere really interesting.

To fair, the original WTF appeal of the web series' creepy Backroom vibe was great but it did start to get a little tired for me right before Kane expanded things beyond the initial "I'm trapped all alone in this endless place." But I've never been a big fan of horror plots that revolve too much around "two minutes of suspenseful creeping" building to an inevitable jump scare. Now that the movie is doing great, I'm hoping we'll get a follow-up that further develops the later parts of web series and keeps going.

[breezybottom]

I don't know, it made sense enough to me — movies don't have to explain everything to work. I actually appreciate that there wasn't a big lore dump, I don't care about any of that.

[daveisfera]

But they should do something. The first 1 hour or so was very well done and engaging, but then it just wraps up all of the sudden without digging into or addressing any of the topics they brought up. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. I'd say it was an interesting YouTube series of crazy ideas to watch as a few shorts, but not enough there to warrant a movie.

[daveisfera]

I watched the YouTube series and didn't notice anything specific that it added or answered. It provided a bit more context about ASync, but that wasn't really a core part of the movie (or at least didn't actually answer anything other than they had discovered it and had been researching/experimenting with it). Is there something I missed?

[spartanatreyu]

Spoilers below (use rot13 to decipher):

Vg nafjrerq gur gvzryvar bs ubj gur onpxebbzf jrer perngrq.

Va 1972 Vina Orpx jnf qbvat culfvpf rkcrevzragf naq jnf noyr gb znxr znggre qvfnccrne sebz bhe fcnpr.

Bapr ur svtherq bhg gung vg unq orra genafcbegrq vagb n qvssrerag fcnpr, ur crgvgvbarq gur tbireazrag sbe rkgen shaqvat. Vs gur HF tbireazrag pbhyq perngr rkgen fcnpr ng jvyy, vg jbhyq or n fpvragvsvp oernxguebhtu ba gur beqre bs fcyvggvat gur ngbz naq jbhyq punatr gur jbeyq. Vg sryy haqre gur cheivrj bs gur Qrcnegzrag bs Raretl (gur fnzr qrcnegzrag vaibyirq jvgu ahpyrne jrncbaf).

Guebhtu gurve rkcrevzragf gelvat gb perngr n ynetre qbbejnl ("guerfubyq") gb n arj fcnpr, gurl pnhfrq gur snzbhf 1989 rnegudhnxr naq trarengrq gur onpxebbzf nf jr xabj gurz, qvfpbirerq gur ragvgvrf jvguva, naq jrer erfcbafvoyr sbe gur nppryrengvat zvffvat crefbaf pnfrf nf zber naq zber bcravatf orpnzr cbccvat hc.

Gurl xarj gur ceboyrz jnf trggvat jbefr, naq gurl pbagvahrq gb pbire vg hc naq pbagvahr gur rkcrevzragf, nyy va gur ubcrf bs zbargvfvat gurz be hfvat gurz gb tnva n fgengrtvp nqinagntr bire bgure pbhagevrf.

Gur zbivr fubjrq jung unccrarq jvgu bayl bar bs gubfr qbbejnlf. (naq gur qbbejnl gur frnthyy pnzr guebhtu, naq gur bevtvany guerfubyq va gur Nflap snpvyvgl).

Jr nyfb fnj gung gur onpxebbzf pbagvahrq gb ribyir bire gvzr orpbzvat zber ernyvfgvp, riraghnyyl sbezvat gur "fgvyy-yvsrf" jvgu rqvoyr juvgr znff syrfu.

Juvpu yrnqf gb gur gehr ubeebe:

Nf gur jnyy orgjrra obgu fcnprf orpbzrf guvaare ng na rire vapernfvat engr, naq nf gur onpxebbzf pbagvahrf gb ribyir, jung unccraf arkg, naq jvyy jr or noyr gb fnir bhefryirf?

[daveisfera]

That's a fascinating concept and interesting story but I didn't see it told in either the movie or the YouTube shorts. There's tons of little pieces you've referenced but neither really does more than just throw a bunch of stuff at the wall. Basically, my concern/complaint is that there's a lot of interesting concepts there and you could pull those threads for a long time, but now of it is really developed or delivered on in either the movie or the YouTube shorts.

[spartanatreyu]

All of what I said (except the direct reference to the movie crossing over) came from Kane Pixel's youtube series.

Make sure you're not getting confused with random analog-horror / backrooms videos from random creators. Those videos are connected to the movie in any way.

Kane Pixels (Kane Parson)'s youtube series and the movie were both made by him and are in the same canon. It's definitely a canon where you need to pay attention and rewatch things to see the connections. It's probably the closest thing Hollywood has ever been to a House of Leaves style story.

[spartanatreyu]

*Those videos are NOT connected

(too late to make edits)