Backrooms is ready for its Oscar run. The YouTube-spawned horror phenomenon is among the initial wave of films available for Oscar voters on the Motion Picture Academy’s secure viewing portal.
While the Academy Screening Room launched in June with a single title, Paris Barclay’s documentary Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It, the selection has since expanded, with 12 titles now available and dozens more slated to populate the platform in the coming months.
In addition to Backrooms, other notable films recently uploaded to the portal include Sophy Romvari’s acclaimed family drama Blue Heron; the British biopic I Swear, which had a surprise showing at the BAFTA Awards earlier this year; and Oscar winner Morgan Neville’s documentary on Paul McCartney’s early solo career, Man on the Run.
The site also allows members to watch panel discussions and behind-the-scenes featurettes at their leisure via Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, or the Academy app. The screening room is updated as titles become available, with members notified of new additions each Friday.
Here are the 12 movies currently available to stream on the Academy Screening Room, in alphabetical order:
BACKROOMS
Director: Kane Parsons
Based on the viral internet urban legend and short film series, this sci-fi horror feature follows a young filmmaker who accidentally slips into a surreal, infinite labyrinth of empty office spaces.
BILLY PRESTON: THAT’S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT
Director: Paris Barclay
A feature documentary tracing the extraordinary life and musical genius of legendary keyboardist Billy Preston, highlighting his historic collaborations with The Beatles, Eric Clapton, and the Rolling Stones.
BLUE HERON
Director: Sophy Romvari
A drama exploring family ties, memory, and personal identity against the backdrop of a changing coastal town.
GANGLAND
Director: Vincent Grashaw
A gritty crime thriller following the inner workings and power struggles within an urban criminal syndicate.
I SWEAR
Director: Kirk Jones
An emotionally biopic based on the true life story of John Davidson, a Scottish man with severe Tourette syndrome.
MAN ON THE RUN
Director: Morgan Neville
A look inside Paul McCartney’s life and career after the breakup of The Beatles, focusing on the 1970s and the formation of his band Wings.
MONUMENT
Director: Bryan Singer
Set in 1999, as Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon crumbles, architect Yacov Rechter is commissioned to build a soldiers’ memorial.
MOTHER MARY
Director: David Lowery
An epic pop melodrama following a fictional musician (Anne Hathaway) and her relationship with an iconic fashion designer (Michaela Coel).
STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE!
Directors: Tia Lessin and Carl Deal
A portrait of the iconic independent journalist Amy Goodman.
THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD
Director: Michael Sarnoski
A dark reimagining of the classic folk legend featuring Hugh Jackman as a mortally wounded Robin Hood grappling with his past.
UNDERTONE
Director: Ian Tuason
A psychological thriller centered on an audio technician who uncovers a haunting anomaly in a sound recording.
UNION COUNTY
Director: Adam Meeks
Will Poulter stars as a man on a journey toward recovery amid the opioid epidemic in rural Ohio.
