“The Man in My Basement” is ready to make waves at the Toronto International Film Festival, offering a tense, thought-provoking spin on the psychological thriller. Adapted from Walter Mosley’s acclaimed novel and marking Nadia Latif’s feature debut, the film stars Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe in a story about desperation, power, and the ghosts of the past.
“The Man in My Basement” Premise
Hawkins plays Charles Blakey, a man reeling from his mother’s death, facing unemployment, and on the brink of losing his family home in Sag Harbor, New York. Enter Anniston Bennet (Dafoe), a mysterious stranger with an unsettling proposition: rent out his basement for a few months—for a price that could erase Charles’s debts. Temptation wins, and what begins as a financial lifeline soon becomes a dangerous psychological game.
As their uneasy arrangement unfolds, the basement turns into a pressure cooker, forcing both men to confront themes of race, trauma, and morality. Latif’s direction brings these tensions to life with claustrophobic cinematography, sharp dialogue co-written with Mosley, and performances that keep you guessing.
The supporting cast, including Anna Diop, Jonathan Ajayi, Gershwyn Eustache Jnr., Pamela Nomvete, and Tamara Lawrance, deepens the film’s exploration of identity and community.
Premiering at TIFF before hitting select theaters on September 12 and streaming on Hulu and Disney+, “The Man in My Basement” isn’t just a thriller—it’s a chilling, timely story that lingers long after the credits roll.
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