I really, really wanted to like backrooms (2026)

I interpreted the Backrooms (2026) to be a story about grief and memory, and how rumination degrades what we remember. Even the movie's dialogue is circular at times (I liked the callback to Mary and Clark's roleplay sessions near the end). This would've hit harder if I felt more connected Mary and Clark. In theory, theyre good characters - they have distinct voices, fears and motivations, and thier decisions make sense. The lack of real on-screen interactions with others made me feel so disconnected from them. They feel like caricatures of grieving people - Clark lashes out and Mary locks it in. I felt worse when Kat and Bobby died than Clark because they felt like people and not vehicles for a concept. The complex - for reasons unknown - copies these places and memories. I was hoping this and ASYNC's discoveries would be explored more. I guess this wasn't really explored because thier target audience are backrooms buffs, or they're banking on mystery? The tonal whiplash between…