NoCliped (2022)

The iconic moment when Maria Diaz first enters the Backrooms, establishing the film's haunting atmosphere

NoCliped is a 2022 psychological horror film directed by Ari Aster and produced by A24 Studios. It serves as the first installment in The Backrooms Trilogy, introducing audiences to the mysterious and terrifying world of the Backrooms through the eyes of Maria Diaz (Jenna Ortega), a Mexican-American architecture student whose life becomes inexplicably entangled with supernatural forces.

Plot

Opening Act

The film opens in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Maria Diaz studies architecture at the University of Edinburgh. Through carefully crafted flashbacks, we learn of her troubled upbringing in California, including her father's imprisonment and her mother's struggles with addiction. The narrative establishes Maria's close relationship with Cindy Reynolds (Emma Myers), whose unexplained disappearance six months prior to the film's events has left Maria deeply traumatized.

While working late in the university's architecture studio, Maria experiences increasingly strange phenomena - fluorescent lights flickering in patterns, walls seeming to breathe, and the distinct sensation of reality becoming unstable. The scene culminates in what would become one of horror cinema's most memorable sequences: Maria literally falling through reality itself, a process known as "noclipping."

The Backrooms

The film's second act focuses on Maria's terrifying introduction to Level 0, where the iconic yellow wallpaper and endless maze of empty rooms create an atmosphere of profound psychological horror. During her initial hours in the Backrooms, Maria encounters several hostile entities, including the vicious Hounds and the consciousness-draining Dullers, establishing the very real dangers of this alternate dimension.

The emotional reunion between Maria and Cindy in Level 0's fluorescent maze

In a moment of profound emotional impact, Maria discovers Cindy, who has survived six months in the Backrooms through her wit and resourcefulness. Their reunion scene, played masterfully by Ortega and Myers, hints at deeper feelings between the two women while establishing the film's central relationship. Cindy becomes Maria's guide, teaching her essential survival skills including the importance of Almond Water for maintaining sanity and mental clarity.

Journey Through Level 0

The middle portion of the film follows Maria and Cindy's journey through Level 0's monotonous corridors, with the constant buzz of fluorescent lights and endless yellow wallpaper serving as both setting and psychological antagonist. Director Ari Aster employs innovative cinematography techniques to capture the disorienting nature of the space, using long tracking shots and subtle visual distortions to create a sense of spatial uncertainty.

Their eventual discovery of a path to Level 1 initially seems like salvation, but quickly devolves into terror when they encounter the Smilers, whose luminescent grins and predatory nature create one of the film's most intense sequences. The maintenance tunnel chase scene, shot in near-darkness with only the Smilers' grins providing illumination, has been praised as a masterclass in horror cinematography.

Climax and Resolution

The film's climactic sequence introduces the Partygoers, whose false cheer and sinister intentions provide a disturbing finale. Just as all seems lost, Maria and Cindy are rescued by the Major Explorer Group (M.E.G.), establishing this organization's crucial role in the trilogy.

The ending provides moments of hope amidst the horror, with Maria and Cindy finally acknowledging their romantic feelings for each other. The introduction of Detective James Reynolds (David Tennant) searching for his daughter adds a new dimension to the narrative, while the post-credits scene featuring Dr. Arnold Malkinson (Jack Nicholson) sets up the trilogy's larger conflict.

Themes and Analysis

NoCliped explores themes of isolation, identity, and the nature of reality itself. The Backrooms serve as both a literal maze and a metaphor for Maria's internal struggles with her identity and past trauma. The film's exploration of liminal spaces - areas that exist "between" defined locations - mirrors Maria's own journey of self-discovery and sexual identity.

The relationship between Maria and Cindy provides the emotional core of the film, with their developing romance serving as a counterpoint to the surrounding horror. Critics particularly praised how the film naturally integrated this LGBTQ+ narrative without making it the central focus of the story.

Production

The film's production team went to extraordinary lengths to create the distinctive look of the Backrooms, constructing massive sets with identical corridors that could be reconfigured to create the illusion of endless space. The sound design, featuring the constant buzz of fluorescent lights and subtle environmental effects, received particular praise for its contribution to the atmosphere of psychological dread.

Reception

NoCliped received widespread critical acclaim, with particular praise for Ortega's performance as Maria and the film's unique approach to psychological horror. Critics highlighted the movie's ability to create tension through environmental storytelling and its sophisticated handling of both supernatural horror and human relationships. The film grossed $89 million worldwide against a budget of $24 million, establishing the Backrooms as a viable horror franchise and paving the way for its sequels.

Legacy

The film is credited with popularizing the concept of liminal spaces in mainstream horror and establishing new standards for psychological horror cinematography. Its success led directly to the production of the subsequent films in the trilogy and influenced a new wave of horror films focusing on architectural and spatial horror concepts.

See Also

• The Backrooms Trilogy (2022-2027)
• Dullers
• Dr. Arnold Malkinson