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'

Backrooms director Kane Parsons talks about Valve’s Portal influence

Kane Parsons, the filmmaker behind A24’s upcoming Backrooms, has revealed how deeply Portal has shaped his creative vision. In a Letterboxd interview, he said the game is “the earliest influence” and the “strongest influence over everything I’ve done in my entire life.” He even describes dreaming of the Portal labs, noting the shift from the bright yellow tones of the first game to the gray‑blue decay of the second.

Portal and the Backrooms: a shared architectural myth

The environments of both Portal and the Backrooms feel like vast, endless indoor spaces that expand in impossible directions. Parsons points out that the second Portal game, with its rotting, sprawling corridors, mirrors the endless hallway concept of the Backrooms:

• Endless interior spaces – both feature infinite rooms that defy normal geometry.
• Bleak color palettes – the gray‑blue gloom of Portal 2 echoes the dim, fluorescent lighting of the Backrooms.
• Mysterious murals – in Portal, wall art hints at past occupants, a motif that appears in the Backrooms film’s own wall drawings.

Narrative echoes: from Aperture to the Async Research Institute

Parsons also notes that the Backrooms film echoes Portal’s corporate satire. The Async Research Institute parallels Aperture Science Inc., both unregulated entities prioritizing research over human safety. Like Aperture’s test subjects, Backrooms scientists—wearing hazmat suits—navigate the Threshold, a stable doorway that lets them move freely through the liminal space. This mechanism explains how countless portals have opened worldwide, trapping unsuspecting victims in endless hallways.

The legacy of Portal in modern creepypasta

By intertwining Portal’s gameplay and narrative tropes with the Backrooms mythos, Parsons has crafted a fresh take on one of the internet’s most enduring creepypastas. His passion for the original game shines through every set design and plot twist, promising a film that will resonate with both gamers and horror fans alike.