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Comparison between the theatrical version and the Everything Must Go! Edition, both included in LEONINE’s Collector’s Edition
- One difference
Background on the BACKROOMS phenomenon & two theatrical releasesAh, the internet and its dark corners. Apparently, on the infamous 4Chan, in 2019, people were asking for images that were somehow unsettling. Thus, a photo of abandoned office spaces gave rise to the “creepypasta” of mysterious, seemingly endless interiors with all sorts of unsettling features, such as musty carpets, a sense of loneliness, and the loud hum of fluorescent lights. Increasingly creative horror stories were spun around this premise, and it was only a matter of time before Hollywood took on the material as well. In the science fiction series Severance, directed by Ben Stiller, among others, this was portrayed in an exaggerated manner, primarily in the context of everyday office life. In the feature film Backrooms from the cult studio A24, known for its unconventional productions, mental health issues following a divorce provide the basic premise for the owner of a run-down furniture store to make a discovery in the basement of his shop. His psychotherapist Mary, portrayed by the magnificent Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World), thus finds herself drawn ever deeper into the parallel worlds of the eponymous backrooms. Director Kane Parsons made a name for himself in 2022 with the YouTube series of the same name, which primarily features shaky found-footage shots, gradually weaving a vast mythology around the core concept through numerous details. The company Async is established here as a behind-the-scenes entity with a commercial interest in the discovered portal and the parallel worlds within it. It remains unclear, or rather, keeps viewers hooked, to what extent, for example, objects in the Backrooms ended up there due to “glitches” in reality, or why various people are listed as missing. In any case, the clips were a huge success, but no one could have imagined that his film, with a larger budget and an entirely new plot premise, would go on to gross around $400 million in 2026. The U.S. theatrical release took place in late May, and as early as July, the distributor surprisingly unveiled a new, extended version of the film for re-releases in theaters, a move that was surely intended to once again cash in on die-hard fans after all the hype.
The EVERYTHING MUST GO Edition with an additional end sequenceIt quickly became clear that there’s likely only one difference: a longer sequence after the credits, which is essentially “just” another episode in the exact style of the YouTube clips, thus finally drawing a clear connection to the source material. Here, we see a longer expedition into the “Backrooms,” during which several Async employees explore the premises and come across various signs bearing the eponymous slogan of owner Clark’s furniture store chain. This plays a key role in setting the events of the film in motion and chronologically serves as a complement to the opening scene, in which Async employee Naren Warren is separated from his group and pursued into the Backrooms. Kane Parson also posted the clip on his YouTube channel in August, so anyone who missed the theatrical version can still legally enjoy the bonus material. Of course, we had hoped that the complete version of the film might still reveal a few more differences in the plot itself, but there aren’t any. The only difference really is just this one long sequence, which was added immediately after the credits. In the U.S., a Blu-ray is available exclusively at the A24 Shop, and here the clip is included separately in the bonus features. The longer version is also available on some streaming services. Starting September 25, 2026, those interested in a German-language release will also have the chance to purchase the film in the extended “Everything Must Go” version with the UHD Collector’s Edition, though this is only included on a bonus Blu-ray (not 4K), which is missing from the individual releases. This is a somewhat puzzling release strategy, especially since it’s just a single additional scene block. In principle, this could likely have been offered on the UHD disc (as well as the reguöar Blu-ray) as a playlist or seamless branching feature. As is customary with LEONINE, viewers unfortunately have to do without English subtitles, which many other labels sensibly include for both the hearing-impaired and fans of foreign-language original audio. That said, and especially for those interested in the German-language version, the UHD disc (as mentioned, containing only the theatrical version) is technically top-notch. 110:45-126:51
The only difference comes after the credits: First, a note appears stating that the following material is intended for internal use only. A date overlay reminiscent of old camcorders indicates that the following shots are from June 18, 1990 (i.e., one day before the film’s opening events), and another text panel refers to a preliminary inspection by the “Kelowna Branch.” We then see (from a third-person perspective) two people entering the building. It is implied that they have a few hours to complete the job. The men discuss whether the hallway matches, whereupon a few photos are shown, as it were, for comparison (a smaller image section accompanied by clicking sounds). They say they haven’t seen light switches in ages.
Longer POV shots take us through the hallway as the men continue their conversation: Everything looks pretty much the same, though they make a critical comment about a particularly unsightly table. In one room, they spot “Everything Must Go!” promotional signs hanging from the ceiling, and typical signs of VHS wear and tear briefly appear in the footage. In additional photos, you can see that some of the signs are partially sinking into the floor, which the Async employees describe as fantastic.
Another blue transition shot and voice-over commentary: Dr. McCarthy wanted to see the signs for himself, and Dr. Ring came along as well. A map of the premises is shown, and a matter-of-fact commentary describes what they brought along on the expedition. The key question, they noted, was whether there was a connection between the three discovered structures. The men are now standing in the room with the signs, looking at where they emerge from the ceiling and noting that the signs also extend into the floor. The spots on the floor are measured, and it is noted, for example, that for Sign 3, due to the large portion located beneath the floor, measurements can only be estimated.
In additional photos, one can now see the measured distances (including those between the shields) and the marks in the ground. There are detailed comments on what might be considered normal or irregular about them. Shield #2 was cut out of the ground. The main question that would have arisen at this point was whether the three shields came from the same structure or were independent objects. It was striking that tiny imperfections matched across all the signs, suggesting an identical template. It also becomes clear that the size gradually decreased. Based on the collected data, Dr. McCarthy suspected that there might be a fourth sign behind the wall, and indeed, one was found there that is slightly smaller than the others.
Traces in the walls are being examined. To their surprise, they find a mannequin’s hand in one of the walls, and the cameraman says, somewhat fearfully, that they should first discuss the situation with the others at the meeting point and then return with more people. His companion (Ron), however, urges them to continue exploring right away, and they discover a mannequin holding a ship’s wheel.
They search another hall in the dark with flashlights and find a few more signs here. They speculate that these are once again slightly smaller. They also spot a few clothes racks and boxes for the first time. Around a corner, they discover artificial grass and garden chairs. It seems they’ve entered an entirely new area here. Once again, the cameraman urges them, somewhat worried, to turn back; he needs to keep track of everything.
Suddenly, they hear a noise coming from a hallway, and as they approach, they see the mannequin and the steering wheel, each half-sunken into the floor. At the end of the room, a TV is playing; a sort of game show jingle repeats several times and is interrupted by a Chinese message (presumably meaning “No Signal”) on a blue background. They hear noises again, and one of them says it’s coming from above. Eventually, there’s a jump scare and a lot of flickering lights. A creature, apparently Pirate Clark, or rather the store owner Clark’s promotional character in the distorted “Backrooms” version, is briefly glimpsed, and the shot then ends abruptly.
total 16:06 min |
