Based on Walter Mosley’s 2005 novel of the same name, The Man in My Basement is a horror film about a down-on-his-luck man trying to protect his ancestral home in Sag Habor, New York. An unexpected opportunity could potentially solve his money problems, but could it also be too good to be true?
The Man in My Basement made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. I received a screener of the film ahead of its release in Toronto, Canada.
What is The Man in My Basement about?
Jude may have been the patron saint of lost causes but The Man in My Basement’s Charles Blakey (Corey Hawkins) could give him a run for his money. Unemployed, and unemployable, Blakey drowns his sorrows in more alcohol than he can handle, as he stares down the barrel of losing his family home to foreclosure.
But a spot of good luck appears, quite literally, out of nowhere. Anniston Bennet (Willem Dafoe) requests Blakey rent out his basement to him. For precisely 65 days. Bennet is ready to pay an exorbitant sum of money, plus an advance that would help Blakey with his mortgage. The catch: Blakey can’t tell anyone about their arrangement. That’s not at all suspicious, is it?
Psychological thriller or straight-up horror?
The Man in My Basement has been touted as a psychological horror focusing on themes around race and power dynamics. But the film still includes classic horror elements. Without giving away any spoilers, we have jump scares such as disembodied hands appearing in the dark, people in mirrors who aren’t there, as well as some body horror.
The psychological horrors take place almost entirely via dialogue. For which I am grateful because what is said is horrifying enough—I definitely did not want to see any of that.
One of the biggest issues I have with horror films is that they don’t always follow their own logic. Shock and awe is great—it’s why we watch horror—but there has to be a logical reason for why these scares happen. Are they in Blakey’s head? Is there actually a supernatural force in his home? Is Bennet behind it all? Sadly, the answer is none of the above.
This tussle between the horrors of humanity and jump scares is what brings The Man in My Basement down. The jump scares don’t add to the story—their only purpose is to frighten you, not inform you. But it’s completely unnecessary when there’s a much stronger story hiding behind the scares.
Bennet’s odd request and the particular reason why he’s likely chosen Blakey to rent from are the heart of this story, and the nature of evil that the film purports to examine. There’s even a scene between Blakey and his love interest, antiques dealer Narciss (an underused Anna Diop), as they discuss what evil truly is. Narciss insists it’s white men, which Blakey counters. And then the scene just stops and never resumes. I really would have loved to hear more of that conversation. Unfortunately, we get more jump scares instead.
Is The Man in My Basement a good horror film?
If you like getting scared, The Man in My Basement may not be for you. It’s not actually that scary. There were a couple of gross body horror moments where I had to close my eyes but they’re pretty fleeting.
The psychological horror aspect is largely lost to the horror tropes. And that’s unfortunate, because the chemistry between Hawkins and Dafoe is solid. Both strong actors, they give their characters personalities that are at times opposing, and at others, similar. I honestly think this film should have just focused on the two of them, and nothing else.
What I am disappointed by is that a subplot about Blakey’s African-American heritage is barely explored. It was fascinating and the tidbits we got had me sitting up and taking notice. But alas, this subplot was left by the wayside.
The Man in My Basement has an unusual concept and director Nadia Latif, in her feature directorial debut, does return to that concept as often as possible. But this needed to be a psychological thriller through and through, not a horror film. Despite strong performances and plot twists, the film never manages to transcend its horror roots.
The Man in My Basement had its world premiere at TIFF 2025. It's coming to theaters and Hulu soon.