Comments

I also loved this film! I wish people would separate short film directors who post on youtube (Kane Parsons, Alan Resnick, and Alex Kirster) from youtubers who pivot to film (Chris Stuckmann). Huge difference in quality. 

I agree with your cognito-hazard take! I think it's an interesting perspective and pretty likely. 

On your point of Clark thinking he can tame Pirate Clark, I think he was killed because he stopped thinking so hard about the backrooms. When Mary gives him the permission to stay stagnant, he stops caring about the world that he's in and accepts it as his own. Since cognito-hazards need to be fixated on and constantly puzzled over, Clark outlives his usefulness with his acceptance. He's not stuck in his head, always remembering what he did and how he interacted with people which feeds the backrooms.