PLOT: Charles Blakey, an African American man dwelling in Sag Harbor, is caught in a rut, out of luck and about to lose his ancestral dwelling when a peculiar white businessman with a European accent affords to lease his basement for the summer season.
REVIEW: E-book variations is usually a powerful nut to crack, particularly when coping with extra intense themes. It’s actually about getting the best individuals in place to inform the story and, even then, generally it simply doesn’t work out. That’d be a great way to explain The Man in My Basement: a film with good intentions that simply doesn’t absolutely notice its potential. It’s actually too unhealthy, as I’ve heard that Walter Mosley’s e-book, which it’s based mostly upon, is a reasonably first rate learn.
The Man in My Basement follows Charles Blakey (Hawkins), a person who hasn’t labored for a while and is in peril of dropping his home. However when a mysterious man (Dafoe) exhibits up and affords him cash to lease out his basement, his predicament could also be saved. Solely he doesn’t put all his playing cards on the desk, and has completely different intentions for his keep within the basement. And prepare for a protracted wait till this reveal, as a result of the movie actually takes its time in creating the story. I don’t thoughts a gradual burn, however when different parts are dealt with so sloppily, it makes the buildup all of the extra irritating.
Corey Hawkins has been a kind of actors that I’ve simply been ready to breakout in an enormous approach as he at all times unbelievable in his numerous roles, whether or not it’s as Dre in Straight Out of Compton or Clemens in The Final Voyage of the Demeter. Charles Blakey is one other intriguing position for the actor, if not for the only real incontrovertible fact that he’s a deeply flawed human being. Charles is deeply unlikable, not having a job, and letting his ancestral dwelling be in peril of being taken away. And he continuously makes horrible selections that appear to contradict his motivations. Hawkins does an excellent job, however the character is simply continuously in his personal approach. Not nice qualities for a lead that will get many of the runtime.
It’s rattling close to unattainable to be a fan of cinema and never love Willem Dafoe. He at all times does such an exceptional job and is a spotlight. However right here, he’s merely…there. The character of Anniston Bennet is intriguing at instances, and frustratingly obscure in others. His interactions with Hawkins are intriguing in first, however usually go in circles, hitting the identical factors each time. The story appears to need to make a degree with him, whereas by no means actually nailing it dwelling. Everybody else simply form of blends collectively, and the movie largely appears targeted on Charles and his story. Which wouldn’t be a foul factor if it really dedicated to any of the concepts that it merely hints at. Director Nadia Latif feels tentative about committing to the theme of complacency and even guilt.
It’s additionally more and more irritating with how the movie handles its horror, if you happen to may even name it that. Random enhancing prospers and lazy bounce scares do many of the heavy lifting, with this actually falling extra below the thriller class. However with a reputation like “The Man in My Basement”, you form of anticipate a bit extra from that idea. I do know I did.
The Man in My Basement performs with themes of race and guilt, however by no means sticks with something lengthy sufficient to matter. It tries to shoehorn a message in that feels very disconnected from the precise occasions of the movie. Focus is put within the incorrect areas, and it usually feels missing in fact. Good performances from Hawkins and Dafoe aren’t capable of save what’s an in any other case uninteresting affair.
THE MAN IN THE BASEMENT RELEASES TO THEATERS ON SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2025.
