Clark from ‘Backrooms’ is Black. Is That Significant?
Race isn’t a big factor in the plot of ‘Backrooms,’ but maybe it makes the story more interesting.
Chiwetel Ejiofor came with his A-game when he played Captain Clark in Backrooms. That’s undeniable. To watch Ejiofor transform from a nervous and earnest furniture salesman to a selfishly intrepid explorer to a psychologically fractured Backrooms-obsessive is to watch a masterclass in acting. Renate Reinsve also brings so much poise and thoughtfulness to all of her roles, so seeing these two be scene partners is a real treat on top of every other aspect of Kane Parsons’ feature film debut.
It was several months of Backrooms mania before I even thought about Clark’s race. This realization surprised me as a horror journalist who is always thinking about intersectionality and as a horror fan who is rooting for everyone to feel represented. I have written so much over the past year about what Sinners means to Black people. As I get deeper into the space, I have taken a lot of joy in connecting with Black horror content creators. I have also enjoyed learning about Black horror history through campy films like Blacula or the sexy, evil Def by Temptation.
Despite race in horror always being at the top of my mind, it didn’t occur to me to think about Clark from Backrooms being Black until I saw a post on Threads to the effect of “Backrooms is what happens when a Black guy doesn’t have any Black friends.” This post was like a fluorescent glow visible through a slit in a basement wall. I decided it was time to get close and press my hand to the surface.
On one hand, I think it’s profound that Ejiofor gets to simply be a guy. Sometimes, it’s nice to just be a regular guy, not a Black Guy™. This simplicity is poignant, given that American audiences largely became familiar with Ejiofor through 12 Years a Slave. While that film is so critically acclaimed and did a lot for the visibility of several actors involved — including scream queens such as Lupita Nyong’o and Sarah Paulson — a lot of Black cinephiles continue to be uncomfortable with the applause around slave films. Since 12 Years’ release, Black movie lovers have been vocal about wanting films that don’t just portray us as gangsters or slaves.
