The Man in My Basement

Last updated
The Man in My Basement
The Man in My Basement poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNadia Latif
Written by
Based onThe Man In My Basement
by Walter Mosley
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyUla Pontikos
Edited byMark Towns
Music byRobert Aiki Aubrey Lowe
Production
companies
  • Andscape
  • B.O.B. Filmhouse
  • Good Gate Media
  • Protagonist Pictures
Distributed by Hulu
Release dates
  • September 5, 2025 (2025-09-05)(TIFF)
  • September 12, 2025 (2025-09-12)(United States)
Running time
115 minutes [1]
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Man In My Basement is a 2025 thriller film directed and co-written by Nadia Latif (in her feature directorial debut), and based on the novel of the same name by Walter Mosley, who co-wrote the screenplay. It stars Corey Hawkins, Willem Dafoe, Anna Diop and Tamara Lawrance.

Contents

The film premiered in the Discovery titles at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in select theaters on September 12, 2025. [2] [3]

Plot

Charles Blakey, an African American man living in Sag Harbor, is stuck in a rut, out of luck, and about to lose his ancestral home when a peculiar white businessman with a European accent offers to rent his basement for the summer.

Cast

Production

In March 2022, it was announced that an adaptation of the novel by Walter Mosley titled The Man In My Basement was in development, with Nadia Latif making her directorial debut as well as writing the screenplay. Jonathan Majors had been cast as Charles Blakey and that he would also serve as an executive producer. [4] In August 2022, Willem Dafoe joined the cast of the film portraying Anniston Bennet. [5]

In 2023, following Majors's arrest in March 2023 and subsequent assault allegations, he was fired from the film. [6] In January 2024, Corey Hawkins was cast to replace Majors. [7] In February, Anna Diop joined the cast of the film playing Narciss Gully. [8]

Filming

Principal photography began on January 30, 2024, in Cardiff, Wales. [9]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 38% of 26 critics' reviews are positive. [10] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 51 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [11]

References

  1. ↑ "The Man in My Basement (15)". British Board of Film Classification . September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  2. ↑ Ntim, Zac (2025-07-23). "TIFF 2025: 'The Man In My Basement' Starring Corey Hawkins & Willem Dafoe Among Discovery Titles". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  3. ↑ Jackson, Angelique (2025-08-14). "'The Man in My Basement' Trailer: Corey Hawkins Stars as a Cash-Strapped Man With Willem Dafoe as His Unsettling Tenant in TIFF-Bound Thriller". Variety. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  4. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 15, 2022). "Jonathan Majors To Star In Protagonist Pictures Adaptation Of Walter Mosley's 'The Man In My Basement'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  5. ↑ Kroll, Justin (August 4, 2022). "Willem Dafoe Joins Nadia Latif's 'The Man In My Basement'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 18, 2023). "Hollywood's Wariness Of Jonathan Majors Grows: Actor No Longer Starring In 'The Man In My Basement' Movie; Cut From Texas Rangers Ad Campaign". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  7. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 29, 2024). "'The Color Purple's Corey Hawkins Sets 'The Man In My Basement' For Disney-ESPN's Andscape". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  8. ↑ Jackson, Angelique (February 6, 2024). "Anna Diop Joins Corey Hawkins, Willem Dafoe in 'The Man in My Basement' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  9. ↑ Calnan, Ellie (January 30, 2024). "'The Man In My Basement' starring Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe filming in Wales". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook . Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  10. ↑ "The Man in My Basement". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved September 13, 2025.
  11. ↑ "The Man in My Basement Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 13, 2025.
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