The Man in My Basement

This movie began with a lot of promise. An interesting setup with strange and mysterious circumstances had me hoping for a fun ride. Sadly, the movie was unable to deliver anything close to a satisfying payoff.

The main plot is riddled with holes, and the "B" plot could have been a solid story, but it was really just anti-white people nonsense. Characters make inexplicable decisions and rarely ask the obvious questions - both hallmarks of bad writing.

I guess it was entertaining for the first hour, but by the halfway point it becomes stale, repetitive and frustrating. The actors do all they can with what they have to work with, and everyone turns in a solid performance. The script just can't deliver - a bucket of refuse remains a bucket of refuse. Truthfully, the only reason I finished it was because I had passed the point of no return to watch a better movie before bed. Skip this one, folks. You won't miss out on anything of substance.

'The Man in My Basement' got off to such a promising start. The concept was so intriguing, and then throw Willem Defoe into the mix in a crazy role and you have the recipe for something special. And then the film doesn't really go anywhere. And it starts treading water for two hours. And you realise there were no actual ideas behind it, after the initial premise. And it all becomes very disappointing.

How this film has a two hour runtime, I will never know. There wasn't even enough idea here for a 90 minute film. Things really start to drag in the second half.

Still, you have Defoe giving it his everything. Every time he's on screen the movie goes up a notch. When he's not on screen all the character's should be standing around saying, 'Where is Defoe?" (that's a reference - I haven't lost my mind).

Ultimately though, he's not enough to save it, and this is a pretty arduous watch. A generous 5/10.

The Man in My Basement is a psychological thriller/horror hybrid directed by Nadia Latif (her feature debut), co written with Walter Mosley based on his 2004 novel.

Set in Sag Harbor, New York in the 1990s, the plot centers on Charles Blakey (Corey Hawkins), a Black man who is financially struggling, facing foreclosure on his ancestral home.

Into Charles's life steps Anniston Bennet (Willem Dafoe), a mysterious white businessman who offers a large sum to rent his basement for a couple of months, enough to solve Charles's money problems. But Bennet imposes odd conditions, builds a cell in the basement, and gradually the situation becomes a psychological, symbolic confrontation. The home, the basement, the past, race, power, guilt, inheritance - these all become focal points.

Overall Impressions.

The Man in My Basement is a fascinating, often unsettling film that asks big questions. Its strength lies in ideas: what it means to carry the past, the negotiation of power and race within intimate, domestic spaces, and the psychological tensions that emerge when someone "outsider" is allowed into a house literally into its basement and what that does to identity and history.

It doesn't always succeed in being as gripping or sharply realized as its premise demands, and much of its power depends on how open a viewer is to subtext, metaphor, and mood over thriller mechanics. But as Nadia Latif's debut feature, it's bold, thoughtful, and memorable in many respects.

Verdict: Who Might Like It / Who Might Not

If you like horror or psychological thrillers with social commentary (especially on race and history), this film will offer a lot to chew on.

If you prefer your horror more action driven, your thrillers more plot forward, or simpler/clearer, there may be moments where this feels slow or overly symbolic.

Rating.

I'd give it about 5/10 stars. It has more wins than misses-but it also doesn't fully deliver on all its ambitions.

Ignoring the fact that it was a 4.6 review and watching it mainly down to William Dafoe, I thought I'd give it a chance, glad I did. Not even bothered to read the low reviews as they have no impact on my ability to enjoy a film but serve only to serve one person's agenda. Here's some extra characters to fulfil the requirement.

What the heck did I just watch for the past two hours? I ignored the bad ratings for the sake of William Dafoe , I was dead wrong, this is what you can call honesty a bad movie. I googled the director, nothing is satisfactory, I hope she stops directing. This is truly a bad experience for me, I advise other people not to go through it, please don't.