The People Under the Stairs

"The People Under The Stairs" is a delightfully oddball horror flick that centers on a young boy nicknamed Fool, who lives in a dilapidating apartment in the inner-city ghetto with his family and dying mother. The greedy landlords of the apartment complex plan on kicking Fool and his family out, so he and a family friend, Leroy (Ving Rhames) hatch a plan to break into the landlords' spooky large house (which was formerly a funeral home) to steal a coin collection supposedly hidden somewhere in there. But they get more than they bargained for when they discover the man and woman living there kidnap young children and lock them inside the cellar. What ensues is a bizarre battle between Fool and the landlords as he tries to save all of the abused, deformed people who have been locked inside all their life.

"The People Under The Stairs" is one wild trip, and I say that because it really truly is. Written and directed by horror legend Wes Craven, I'd have to say that this his strangest film, and I think most would agree. The entire script is quite off-the-wall and very strange, but I admire that quality about it. The story is actually pretty unique, I can confidently say I've never seen a film like this before. While the storyline may be a little hard to sink your teeth into, if you set aside logic and just watch the movie for what it is, it is quite a neat little horror movie. For one, it has a surreal atmosphere that adds to its overall quirkiness, and it has a certain effect that I've never really experienced before. It's a bizarre movie to say the least, but I think that might be why I enjoyed it so much. The characters are twisted, and the dark, musky setting in the old house is a perfect place for the story to unfold. Plus there is also some dark comedy to be found here as well. In fact, at times this movie seems like more of a seriously twisted black comedy, but I'd say it's a cross between both of these genres.

Brandon Adams leads the cast as a thirteen year old boy who is caught up in the battle with the psychotic landlords and is surprisingly good, especially considering his age. A.J. Langer plays Alice, the only child in the house that isn't neglected and locked away, and is also good. The actors playing the mother/woman and dad/man are excellent in their bizarre and over-the-top roles, and Ving Rhames is decent with what screen time he has. There are some excellent sequences in this movie as well, mostly the chase scenes within the walls and labyrinth of passageways and whatnot inside the house. I'd like to point out the special effects as well which were very well done, as was the makeup on the deformed, former-"children" of the landlords, who looked very disgusting. As for the ending, it is also over-the-top and a bit silly, but the entire movie is, really, so this goes along with the flow of the movie well. The film itself as a whole seems to have some sort of deeper meaning behind all of the psychotic and twisted elements - as for me, I have my ideas of what it may be trying to say, but I think it can be interpreted different ways. But it does seem to be trying to send some sort of message, whatever that may be.

Overall, "The People Under The Stairs" is an immensely entertaining but very bizarre and offbeat little horror flick. It isn't perfect and it is a little out there, but if you can suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours and enjoy a twisted, almost fairytale-like horror movie, this can be a fun experience. But make sure you don't take it too literally, because it is a very strange movie. All things considered though, I dug it. 7/10.

While it doesn't hit the classic heights of A Nightmare on Elm Street or Scream, The People Under the Stairs is an underappreciated slice of uniquely American horror from Wes Craven. He explores class, race, and religion in an entertaining package filled with thrills and even a few laughs.

Once again director/writer Wes Craven delivers the thrills and chills. A young boy(Brandon Adams)is persuaded by a hapless crook(Ving Rhames) to break into his landlord's house to steal a gold coin collection. The house turns out to be an overly secured mansion that was formerly a funeral home. The demented landlord(Everett McGill)and his wife(Wendy Robie) and daughter(A.J. Langer)are not the only weirdness to be found. There is the mangled denizens under the stairs...in the basement...between the walls. The husband and wife are actually brother and sister. This tale of horror turns into a campy riot and easy to gain a cult following.

Directed by Wes Craven, "The People Under the Stairs" is a fun and energetic, if a bit dated, horror flick that stars Brandon Quintin Adams (of "The Mighty Ducks" fame) as a Fool, a street-smart and spunky 13 year-old kid living in the ghetto. When his mother falls ill and the evil landlord hits them with an eviction notice, he hatches a plan with a family friend (Ving Rhames) to break into the landlord's house and rob him of his riches. Unfortunately, Fool finds himself trapped in the house which turns out to be a fortress and uncovers a disturbing discovery about the inhabitants lurking in the basement.

Full of stunning visuals, slapstick humor and colorful performances by its cast, "The People Under the Stairs" is perhaps the best 80's movie made in the 90's. Yeah, that's right, this movie looks and feels like something that belongs in the eighties, from the outfits the characters wear to the oddball hip-hop song that closes out the movie. It helps, though, that Craven is in top form with delivering some truly nightmarish visuals, aided by one great big set-piece in the house that the film spends ninety-five percent of its run-time within.

Adams is a rarity in that he is a kid in a horror movie that isn't annoying. Quite the opposite, Fool is likable and real enough that you can't help but cheer him along as he gives the landlord some payback by throwing a brick at him -- "Home Alone 2" style -- and by sucker-punching his vicious guard-dog when it gets too close. The film is more fun than it is scary, with plenty of witty one-liners, awkward moments and situational humor. Horror fans will recognize Kelly Jo Minter (of "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" fame) in a supporting role and will get a kick out of the funhouse trip that "The People Under the Stairs" ultimately is. Despite looking even more dated than it should, it's a film that still holds up as simply a good time.

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

*** (out of 4)

Stuck in the ghetto and about to be evicted while his mother is needing surgery for a cancer, a young kid known as Fool (Brandon Adams) agrees to help a man break into the landlord's house because there's rumors that it is full of gold. The two make it inside the house but they run into a bizarre couple (Everett McGill, Wendy Robie) as well as many other things living in the basement.

By the time 1991 rolled around the horror genre was pretty much dead but there were a few interesting movies that managed to get released, although the box office numbers still weren't very good. Wes Craven's THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS is a film with many, many flaws but at the same time it's certainly an original film that tries to do something more than just shock the viewer with gore effects. The film manages to mix in a political statement with the horror and there's even some humor thrown in as well.

I think the best thing going for the movie is the lead character and the actor. The situation is quite simple as a poor kid must resort to a crime so that his family might have a better future. We already want to see the kid succeed at getting the money but once we see how derange the two living inside the house are we just want to see him win even more. Adams gives an extremely good performance for someone his age and it's certainly a lot better than you typically see in a film like this. A.J. Langer is also extremely good in her role as a girl trapped inside the house. McGill has always been fun to watch and he and Robie have a great chemistry together. Even Ving Rhames is good in his part.

Craven certainly knows how to milk a scene for drama and he perfectly knows how to set up various scenes that are aimed to build tension. The atmosphere he creates is certainly another major plus as is the terrific cinematography and the music score. However, there are some flaws including the fact that the movie runs at least ten minutes too long. Some of the scenes go on a bit too long and I think it was a mistake leaving the house for a brief period of time towards the end.

Still, THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS is a rather original movie and while it didn't have the same impact as something like A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, it's still an interesting movie that's worth watching.