"Review of 'The Man in My Basement': Star-studded adaptation of Walter Mosley's work draws the audience in, yet falls short of complete persuasion, featuring Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe"
In the heart of Sag Harbor's Black neighbourhood in the 1990s, "The Man in the Basement" unfolds a compelling story revolving around the character of Charles Blakey, brilliantly portrayed by Corey Hawkins.
Charles, once a bank employee, finds himself unemployed due to petty embezzlement, leading him to spend most of his time playing cards with friends Ricky and Clarence. His life takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with a local antique dealer named Narciss (Diop), who proposes creating a small museum centred on African masks found in Charles' basement.
A well-dressed stranger named Anniston Bennett, played by Willem Dafoe, offers Charles $65,000 to rent his unfurnished basement for 65 days. Accepting the offer, large packages start being delivered to Charles' house, and the encounters between Charles and Anniston, both genial and tense, form the crux of the film.
Hawkins' performance makes Charles' fragility palpable, while Dafoe's portrayal of Anniston keeps viewers guessing about his character. The film's complex storylines touch on multiple themes, making it more of a book of ideas than traditional crime fiction.
Directed by Ernest R. Dickerson, the film is co-written by Walter Mosley and Nadia Latif, with Latif making her feature directorial debut. The film features powerful atmospherics and superb performances by Hawkins and Dafoe.
Nadia Latif provides enough tension and chilling visuals to keep viewers engaged. The storyline is allegory-laden and doesn't play out realistically, and it doesn't fully satisfy on thematic terms. However, it delves deep into themes such as power dynamics, race relations, colonialism, guilt, and redemption.
The film is scheduled for a limited theatrical release before streaming on Hulu later this year. It concludes with a lengthy quote from Fritz Fanon's "The Wretched of the Earth." Overall, "The Man in the Basement" is a thought-provoking and engaging film that promises to leave a lasting impression.
