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yesterday

The Man in My Basement Opens Friday After TIFF as Critics Praise Performances but Fault a Muddled Second Half

The directorial debut adapts Walter Mosley’s novel into a confined thriller that asks who gets to write history.

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l-r: Willem Dafoe and Corey Hawkins in THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT. Courtesy of TIFF.
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Overview

  • Director Nadia Latif’s feature debut, adapted from Walter Mosley’s 2004 novel, reaches theaters on September 12 following its Toronto premiere.
  • Corey Hawkins stars as Charles Blakey opposite Willem Dafoe’s enigmatic Anniston Bennet in a largely two-character psychological thriller.
  • The story follows a Black homeowner in Sag Harbor who is on the verge of losing his ancestral house when a stranger offers to rent the basement for a large sum.
  • Latif says she wants audiences to question who tells history, with the film engaging themes of race, privilege, memory and the legacy of slavery.
  • Early TIFF reviews commend Hawkins and Dafoe but describe an unfocused, sluggish latter half, with outlets including JoBlo and Film Festival Today issuing negative notices.