A24's BACKROOMS Review + ABFF 2026 Recap with FUNNY FEELINGS, THAT'S HER, and SPILLED MILK | SEATED Podcast | Ep. 35

Hosts Tre'vell Anderson and Ray Love Jr. are checking their sanity and stepping into the infinite yellow hallways for their review of Kane Parsons' highly anticipated A24 sci-fi psychological horror film, BACKROOMS. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as a struggling furniture store owner who uncovers a terrifying hidden portal, alongside Renate Reinsve, the film adapts the viral internet creepypasta into a mind-bending, claustrophobic nightmare of endless rooms and liminal dread. Ray and Tre'vell get into the nitty-gritty of the film's execution, unpacking the psychology of the maze, the eerie cosmic horror, and whether this viral sensation actually gives what it's supposed to give on the big screen. Tune in for their hella honest verdict: is this trippy descent into madness a "Seated," "Stream It," or a "Skip It?" Ray also brings us a recap from South Beach, sharing his experience at the 2026 American Black Film Festival (ABFF). He drops a few capsule reviews of festival standouts, including the indie features Funny Feelings and That's Her, plus the always-stacked lineup from the HBO® Short Film Award. Plus, the hosts play a special Chiwetel Ejiofor edition of the Black Cinema Games, highlighting five of the leading man's biggest box office hits and guessing their Letterboxd ratings. Finally, they close the show with Good Vibes Only, sharing what's bringing them joy this week.   JOIN THE SEATED MOVIE CLUB https://www.seatedshow.com/join   00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:23 - Fresh Out: American Black Film Festival (ABFF) 2026  00:12:19 - Fresh Out: Strung 00:14:44 - Fresh Out: ABFF HBO® Short Film Award 00:17:24 - Fresh Out: That's Her 00:18:01 - Fresh Out: Funny Feelings 00:20:04 - Attend Historically Black Phrases Live! In Boston  00:21:41 - Backrooms Spoiler-Free Chat 00:36:10 - Backrooms Spoiler-Filled Review 00:58:01 - Seated, Skip It, Stream It Verdict 00:59:36 - Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score, Letterboxd Rating 01:00:40 - Black Critic Spotlight: Emmanuel Noisette writes for TheMovieBlog.com 01:01:46 - Apply to Stony Brook University's 2026-2027 Podcast Incubator 01:03:00 - Black Cinema Games: The Chiwetel Cypher 01:09:56 - Good Vibes Only: Soul Food Candle Co., One Of Your Little Friends Snail Mail Club by Tracie Mae   CONNECT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seatedshow, Website: https://www.seatedshow.com Email: holla@seatedshow.com   CREDITS Hosts: Tre'vell Anderson and Ray Love Jr.  Produced by: Slayzhon and FiftyLeven Media Editor: Ray Love Jr. Theme Music: Buckroll Animation: Agung Adhi Location Partner: The WalkGood Yard ( @WalkGoodLA ) Creative Consultant: Jade Fox ( ⁨@iamjadefox⁩  ) Publicity: House of Heralds   TITLES DISCUSSED  12 Years A Slave starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson (Directed by Steve McQueen) Backrooms starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett (Directed by Kane Parsons) <p dir="l