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

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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.

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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: [email protected]

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)

• Children of Men starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Michael Caine (Directed by Alfonso Cuarón)

• Dirty Pretty Things starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou, Sophie Okonedo, Sergi López (Directed by Stephen Frears)

• Fly starring Maxfield Haynes, Aldo Katton, Jeremy T. Villas, Guinevere Turner (Directed by Carlton Daniel)

• Funny Feelings starring Vena "Pretty Vee" Excell, Tristan "Mack" Wilds, Terri J. Vaughn, Mike McClure Jr. (Directed by Rhonda Baraka)

• Kinky Boots starring Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sarah-Jane Potts, Nick Frost (Directed by Julian Jarrold)

• The Martian starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels (Directed by Ridley Scott)

• Scary Movie starring Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall (Directed by Michael Tiddes)

• Spilled Milk starring J. Alphonse Nicholson, Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi, Jerry O'Connell, Brandon Perea (Directed by Jared Leaf)

• Strung starring Chloe Bailey, Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Coco Jones, Anna Diop (Directed by Malcolm D. Lee)

• That's Her starring Kountry Wayne, Coco Jones, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Loretta Devine (Directed by Nina Lee)

• The Truth About Space starring Jordan Kouamé, Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn, Olivia-Rose Colliard (Directed by Jeremiah Towolawi)

• We Had Fun starring Bybianna Vimpi, Demba Diaw, Alséni Bathily, Marcella Bergeron (Directed by Linda Lô)

• You, Me & Tuscany starring Halle Bailey, Regé-Jean Page, Marco Calvani, Aziza Scott (Directed by Kat Coiro)

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