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‘The Man in My Basement’ Debuts at TIFF to Acclaimed Performances, Uneven Reviews

Nadia Latif’s feature debut adapts Walter Mosley’s novel, with a Sept. 12 theatrical launch before a Hulu release.

Overview

  • Critics widely praise Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe for commanding lead performances and a tense two-hander dynamic.
  • Several reviews cite thematic overload and slack cohesion, describing a potent setup that doesn’t fully come together.
  • The film follows a desperate Sag Harbor homeowner who rents his basement to a wealthy stranger who then confines himself there.
  • Set in 1994, the drama probes race, power and historical memory, including the discovery of West African ceremonial masks.
  • Andscape will open the film in limited U.S. theaters on Sept. 12, with streaming to follow on Hulu and, in select windows, Disney+.