Backrooms director Kane Parsons explains how influential Valve’s Portal is to his work: ‘I frequently have dreams where I’m just in the Aperture Science Enrichment Center’
Twenty-year-old filmmaker Kane Parsons, director of the upcoming A24 horror film Backrooms, has discussed how video games fundamentally shaped his creative vision and early career. In interviews ahead of the film’s theatrical release, Parsons revealed that Valve’s Portal is his strongest creative influence, stating it has been “the easiest one for me to pin down as like the strongest influence over everything I’ve done in my entire life probably.” He has described having dreams set within the game’s Aperture Science Enrichment Center.
Parsons built his early reputation through YouTube, creating the found-footage web series The Backrooms in 2022, which accumulated over 3.2 million subscribers and attracted the attention of A24. The boutique film studio signed him to develop the concept into a full-length feature film.
Beyond Portal, Parsons’ creative foundation was shaped during his formative years through LittleBigPlanet on PlayStation 3, where he learned fundamental design and creative construction skills. This hands-on experience with game creation tools and spatial design directly influenced his approach to filmmaking and world-building.
The Backrooms film is projected to be a significant box office success, with industry predictions suggesting it could earn $20 million during its opening weekend, positioning it as a breakout hit that particularly resonates with younger audiences already familiar with Parsons’ YouTube work.