I Hate the Man in My Basement

When Claude loses his wife, he loses himself. Anger, grief, loneliness and guilt drive him to kidnapping the man who killed her, and holding him in his basement. He pushes away his friends and coworkers, who only want to help him.

Will Claude kill the man in the basement? Or will he find himself again? As the film slowly reveals both the secrets of Claude and the man in the basement, it becomes hard to tell the villain from the hero.

The movie isn't a horror movie or even a thriller. It's a delicate examination of the way getting to know someone else can change the human heart. And, in its own twisted way, it's a great antidote to our present political craziness.

The acting is superb, the script interesting and it makes me wish there were more Indy movies like it.

Dustin Cook's film is a compelling independent drama-thriller that combines surprising sympathy, retaliation, and sadness into a suspenseful character study. The film examines the hazy boundaries between justice and humanity through the eyes of Claude, a widower who secretly imprisons the guy who killed his wife. The tale is elevated by Chris Marquette and Manny Montana's strong performances, and Cook's direction strikes a balance between moments of emotional depth and disturbing tension. A thought-provoking thriller for fans of dark, character-driven stories, even though its pacing and realism occasionally falter.

Gotta say I loved this one. I love movies that are not what you might expect, and with this title I wasn't sure what I'd get. The title's kind of ironic for a straight up thriller/horror film - which this flick definitely wasn't. It's more a suspenseful drama/comedy/romance with a premise you'd expect from a psycho/serial killer flick. If that description doesn't intrigue you this movie probably won' appeal to you. I was, literally, shocked at how believable some of the performances were and how invested I became in the budding romance. Yeah, the comedy performances (particularly by the friend) were a tad over the top, and yet credit to the writer/director because everyone acknowledges that fact that the guy is weird, and it always feels like it's part of the same world the rest of the movie takes place in. I liked the way the story of the man in the basement grew and I was kept in suspense the whole time wondering how everything would play out. I put the title in my queue not knowing it had experienced pro actors in it until I saw Nora-Jane Noone's name in the credits (loved her since The Descent and Magdalene Sisters) and then recognized several others faces. Well, they were given great parts and played them well.

This was a good film. Never over the top, it slowly showed the emotions of all the characters, and made for a good watch.7/10.

All of the female characters must have been selected for their weird and overly excessive eye movements. Much of the movie is a statement on how people interact on first dates/new relationships when in their 30's.

The director must believe it's cute to grab a boob on a first date, or joke about innuendos related to underage kids - though that humor doesn't entirely rule the movie. I assume he used to vehicle to enhance the theme of awkwardness in being back on the dating circuit. Claude's 40 yr old pal acts like a junior high football player with unchecked hormones. Jokes about masturbation are prevalent and inappropriate to the plot. Humans do not interact like these characters - it reeked of absurd scripting. The plot had potential and some positive moments. I think the movie would only need about 35-45 minutes to keep viewers more engaged and the story moving. The best part of the film was the dialogue between Claude and his girl about 75% through the film. Best actor goes to the detective - he was most believable.