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 residence when a peculiar white businessman with a European accent gives to hire his basement for the summer season.
REVIEW: E book diversifications generally is a robust nut to crack, particularly when coping with extra intense themes. It’s actually about getting the suitable folks in place to inform the story and, even then, typically 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 totally understand its potential. It’s actually too dangerous, as I’ve heard that Walter Mosley’s ebook, which it’s based mostly upon, is a reasonably respectable learn.
The Man in My Basement follows Charles Blakey (Hawkins), a person who hasn’t labored for a while and is in peril of shedding his home. However when a mysterious man (Dafoe) exhibits up and gives him cash to hire out his basement, his predicament could also be saved. Solely he doesn’t put all his playing cards on the desk, and has totally 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 growing the story. I don’t thoughts a gradual burn, however when different components 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 method as he at all times implausible in his varied 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 undeniable fact that he’s a deeply flawed human being. Charles is deeply unlikable, not having a job, and letting his ancestral residence be in peril of being taken away. And he consistently makes horrible selections that appear to contradict his motivations. Hawkins does a fantastic job, however the character is simply consistently in his personal method. Not nice qualities for a lead that will get many of the runtime.
It’s rattling close to not possible to be a fan of cinema and never love Willem Dafoe. He at all times does such an outstanding job and is a spotlight. However right here, he’s merely…there. The character of Anniston Bennet is intriguing at instances, and frustratingly imprecise in others. His interactions with Hawkins are intriguing in first, however typically go in circles, hitting the identical factors each time. The story appears to wish to make a degree with him, whereas by no means actually nailing it residence. Everybody else simply form of blends collectively, and the movie largely appears centered 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 soar scares do many of the heavy lifting, with this actually falling extra beneath 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 improper areas, and it typically feels missing in reality. Good performances from Hawkins and Dafoe aren’t in a position to save what’s an in any other case uninteresting affair.
THE MAN IN THE BASEMENT RELEASES TO THEATERS ON SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2025.
