Reviews on movie The People Under the Stairs (22)

Continuing to get acquainted with the work of Wes Craven (thanks to the fact that the director shot quite a lot and there are still films that have not been viewed), you can catch yourself thinking: he shot a variety of horror films.
Of course, the iconic and most famous in his work “The Scream” and “Nightmare on Elm Street”, as well as “The Hills Have Eyes” are his crown paintings, which are inseparably associated with the name of the director. But there are also less noticeable, but therefore no less interesting projects, including “People under the stairs”.
A young Jester (or Full in the American version) performed by Brandon Quintin Adams, in order to somehow help the family, agrees to a house robbery with two older accomplices. But the trio does not suspect that in this house lives a family of the most real sadists, who do not put a finger in their mouth, give you something to pluck!
What is impressive about this picture is, perhaps, the way a couple of psychopaths Everett McGill and Wendy Roby played. Maximum mania is about them! The magnificent play of this actor’s duo allows you to enjoy many facets of madness, including quirkiness, lying, cruelty and determination.
To such a couple definitely would not want not only to climb into the house, but even to live with them on the same street! As you know, the director added to his film the story of locked children in one of the houses and in “People under the stairs” there were people with injuries who for many years did not see the sunlight.
I think that it is McGill and Robie that can be called the main advantage of the picture, because in some other components “People Under the Staircase” is typical for horror films and offers the viewer not the most intelligent secondary characters, a certain set of templates (this can also include not the most intelligent cops and the elusiveness of “petty pathetic”).
It is possible that if comedic moments were removed from the film, such as throwing weighty objects in the head of McGill’s character in the spirit of “Home Alone”, or if the main character was a little older, which would turn his fight with maniacs not into semi-entertainment, then he would be much tougher and more serious.
And maybe the element of humor still influenced the whole picture. I haven’t seen any sadistic stories in person. “People Under Stairs” is a very interesting project.

FACTS:

- The house in which the events unfolded belonged (including at the time of filming) Butterfly McQueenn, who starred in Gone with the Wind in 1939 and played the role of the eccentric maid Scarlett-Prissy. The house is called Points of Pride.
Spanish director F. Javier Gutierrez was invited by Wes Craven to direct the remake, but the film was never made. Although Uruguayan Fede Alvarez shot something similar in 2016 – the film “Don’t Breathe”, in which robbers also enter a dilapidated house and meet with its formidable owner.
But look at you. I do not impose my opinion on anyone.

Enjoy your visit.

7 out of 10

Today I had the chance to see this wonderful film, I will say one thing – I liked it!
It should be understood that the film was shot in a relatively distant 1991, to cause the same emotions as at that time, he, of course, is not able, but nevertheless, I estimate it by a strong seven, in comparison with a large layer of horror films, he has a very ambiguous interesting plot, which in addition to looking very whole, by the time of the denouement will not leave a single person with an empty head.
Just think about it: the story that begins with a burglary escalates to the hunt of a man dressed in a black latex suit with a shotgun on a black boy – do you mean that this story is predictable and uninteresting?
I may be wrong in my reasoning, but for me, the main thing in the film is emotions, the people under the stairs managed to evoke them. Yes, I did not get goosebumps, the old techniques of inducing fear in the viewer are no longer relevant, but some moments were taken by surprise, knocking the pace of breathing, I was really chained to the screen and I was really wondering how this story would end.

Sometimes even the most friendly-looking neighbors can be monsters, and the most ordinary-looking house can harbor something terrible. This personally had to make sure a boy from a poor neighborhood named Shooter and his two accomplices who decided to rob a rich married couple.
Director Wes Craven, who gave us the image of Freddy Krueger from “Nightmare on Elm Street” in 1984, in the early 70s, began to shoot horror films. In Craven’s films, the main antagonists are often killer maniacs, it is enough to recall the quadrology of the films “The Scream” from 1996-2011, or his debut film “The Last House on the Left” from 1972.
The film “People under the stairs” I had to watch as a child in the early 2000s, then it was often shown on the TV channel STS. Recently I decided to revise this creation and say that after twenty years, the film looks great, largely thanks to the script. Both the script for “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “People Under the Staircase” were inspired by newspaper articles. In the film, the director managed to create a rather tense atmosphere, constantly building obstacles for the main characters, thereby making the viewer worry about them. However, towards the end of the film, the actions of the main characters become not logical, and sometimes even completely ridiculous. Also, I would like to note the role of actors Everett McGill and Wendy Roby, whose images of antagonists were the most successful.

6 out of 10

Jordan Peel is a brilliant director, original screenwriter!

Me and Wes Craven in one voice - a-hee-hee-hee ...

People under the stairs

What? That's how we laugh!

Study the history of horror, then you will know the whole essence of being. In front of us is the film of the cult Wes Craven “People under the stairs”. It was released in (already distant) 1991. Between “Nightmare on Elm Street 7” and “Electroshock”. The main role was played by Brandon Quintin Adams (Power Ducklings).
Attention, plot! A small (an important detail - black) boy has serious problems, the mother needs surgery. Nothing to eat. The boy's name is Jester! He lives in a poor neighborhood. One day, Jester decides to rob the white masters, who have cleaned the whole area to their eerie white hands. The boy (along with Wing Rames) climbs into the house, and then ...
All (okay, not all 80 percent except cops, though they're stupid) are white Craven's crazy degenerates. With every passing minute, comrade director plunges us into a toxic madhouse where dogs eat people, where men run in BDSM suits with a shotgun, where finally people sit under the stairs. White people. A black boy has entered the world of perverts, sadists and murderers.
You know? A double bottom movie. Even when Craven shows the same unfortunate white girl, the little girl looks at the Jester with grated eyes. The joke goes, “Don’t be afraid of me, haven’t you ever seen black people?” All right, guys. Craven burys the original scripts of Jordan Peel and the rest of the directors. Directors who do not know how to shoot horror films, who hide behind the drama and the problem of racism.
You might say, Zombion, People Under the Staircase, is just a horror story for kids. Okay, then the movie “Get Out” is another movie about sectarians, nothing more. In any case, old Craven was before and his movie is much more interesting (all this modern nonsense). “People under the stairs” throw you on the highest slide, and then throw you down. It's a crazy movie (in a good way). Always on the move.

Yeah, it's a little outdated. Yes, there are some moments that look damn unnatural (especially with a dog). And now imagine plastering, cutting unnecessary pieces and releasing in 2019. Guys, these are Oscar nominations. Now such a script (by the way, Craven is not only a director, but also a screenwriter) would be immediately ripped off. These are the cakes.

Art is subjective, of course. But as I wrote in the first paragraph, please watch and study the classics. It will be easier for you to understand who deserves positive feedback and who does not. Wes Craven with “People Under the Staircase” is worthy. He's good. Eternal memory, Wes!

7 out of 10

The great Wes Craven shot this naive and childish, we can say ' family & #39; horror story about freaks and people. Freaks hiding under cute household names like Daddy and Mommy. Daddy also wears another mask, more suitable for role-playing games BDSM.
Mommy and Daddy, as you can see, in childhood did not receive warmth, so on their ' kind' and ' affectionate' faces are just dear to see, almost all comedy episodes are associated with their participation and really funny.
And people? People live under stairs. Due to the extremely difficult childhood and, obviously, lack of vitamins, which could not be replaced even by an abundance of purely protein food, all of them, one way or another, joined the harsh Norwegian trunk black metal, as evidenced by ' combat ' face coloring - corpspin in the spirit of such ' kind' gentle' and ' touching' groups like Mayhem, Darkthrone or Immortal.
However, people can remain even in such conditions ' Spartan' and even under the stairs, which is directly evidenced by the further development of events in this film.
The only thing a little annoying in the creation of Wes Craven, so it is not a very serious expression of the face of one black baby, the main character in combination. It can be seen that shooting in the present ' adult film ' he was very amused and delighted and therefore in his eyes all the time ' sat a cunning and crafty drawing' Because of this, his facial expression was ironic all the time, even as he read Adult Dialogues 39. Imho, this slightly spoiled the overall impression of the film.
And in general, the film ' People Under Stairs' I liked it. Perhaps some of the pre-read comments on this film helped and I initially did not expect anything too terrible and serious from it.
8 out of 10

Wes Craven. How much of this name for the hearts of slasher fans merged. Once Craven frightened us to death with the picture “Hills Have Eyes”, for a long time to save American youth from the desert in Nevada. By putting on The Last House on the Left, the director hinted at how terrible mansions can be when there is no one to call for help. Then he frightened us with a "nightmare on Elm Street," making us afraid to fall asleep. All these films are undoubted classics. But personally, I also like People Under Stairs, which is a little outdated, but can cause nostalgia for the good old days, when directors shed fake blood and created great art.
The film takes place in a troubled suburb where different gangs operate and you never know if you will become the next victim. It is here that the main character lives, a guy nicknamed Full, whom an older friend forces to break into the house of crazy Mommy and Daddy to get their hidden jewelry.

But even in his worst nightmare, Full could not imagine what he would face. Not only are Mommy and Daddy completely inadequate people, they also keep children who have lost their human appearance in the basement, who are fed all sorts of slops and fresh meat of thieves who have lost their way to the wrong territory. Now Fulu has to decide what to do next, because his life hangs in the balance, and no one will come to the rescue.
All of Craven's past films, including A Nightmare on Elm Street, were serious. People Under the Stairs, on the contrary, play on black comics and carry a lot of physical humor, mainly associated with an inadequate Daddy running around the house in a leather suit and a gun. The humor here is a little specific and sometimes cruel, but Craven immediately warns the audience about what he shows. You should not be surprised.

Technically, "People Under Stairs" is outdated, you can't go against this fact. The manner of shooting, frame processing, boom-moments give the age of this story, which is why the next generation has little chance to love it. But if you look at the film with the pure eye of the historian, then it is still able to cheer and scare.
"People Under Stairs" are still not bad, though they haven't managed to escape aging. Wes Craven made a non-standard film and I am glad that he never gave up the experiences that made him a legendary slasher director.
7 out of 10

Thirteen-year-old black boy named Jester seriously ill mother. Where do you find money for treatment when you live in a ghetto? The sentence finds it itself. Two thieves with experience offer him to surround the house of one rich family. At first glance, the matter is idle, if not for one “but”: this mansion enjoys a very bad reputation. Horrible legends go around among children and adults alike. The joke agrees to the crime and enters the ill-fated house. He does not yet know that his worst nightmares will come true.
"Men Under Stairs" is a horror film with elements of black comedy. It is a pity that horrors here do not scare, and comedic moments do not mix. This is a very strange project for the work of Wes Craven, especially after the legendary Nightmare on Elm Street. The eminent director was a master of horror, but here the abundance of genres does not benefit, and the stamps reach a climax and are introduced into a stupor. The plot is frankly weak and full of a new “royal in the bushes” at every corner. The social subtext of racial and financial inequality is fraught and outright ludicrous. The film can never be called boring, but the runs of the heroes around the house I want to put on rewind and include on the background music from the show Benny Hill.
The atmosphere of the mansion was largely successful: frightening, gloomy and even a little mystical. Twinpeaks couple Everett McGill and Wendy Robbie maintain a proper degree of inadequacy, but they can not drag the entire film. 27 years ago in the era of VHS, the film “Men under the stairs” may have caused due interest, but the test of time, unfortunately, did not pass.
6 out of 10

The year 1991. People under the stairs.

The film at the time was little advertised, and to find it on the video was quite difficult. For obvious reasons, he passed me by. When I made a list of horror movies, I decided to include it, because synopsis and scary poster work wonders. I guess I should have done it.

Trying to find money for the treatment of his mother and payment for housing, a boy nicknamed Shoot decides to rob the house of wealthy people. But the house holds many secrets, sometimes even frightening. The owners of the house are not harmless people. But the worst secret of the house is locked in the basement.
I didn't like the movie. If the synopsis had not been so veiled, I would hardly have sat down to watch it. Obviously, there's no horror in here. Rather, some wild mixture of thriller, screamer and somehow comedy. At first, it is interesting to watch what is happening on the screen. However, as soon as the first details and details begin to be revealed, the film slowly but surely begins to roll. Towards the middle, you no longer understand what all this is about, and in the end everything turns into outright halimatya. And all this is diluted with black humor, which arises either to the place or to the place.
If you expect anything mystical from the movie, forget it. At first, there is some atmosphere of mystery and mystification of what is happening at first, but all this quickly disappears. A typical film of the genre, of which many have been shot by 2016. It is almost impossible to believe that this is a film by Wes Craven, who gave the world Freddy Krugger.
Negative.

3 out of 10

August 30 will be exactly one year since the death of the beautiful director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and just one of the cult masters of horror, Wes Craven. No matter how sad this loss may be, this talented man will live forever in his own work. The main thing is to look and wonder how carefully, qualitatively, the master approached the project. On his account, everyone’s favorite “The Scream”, “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, “The Hills Have Eyes”, but in this case it was decided to see another work of Uraven, more closed behind the backs of all recognizable idols. We will talk about the thriller “People under the stairs” – the thirteenth directorial project, shot back in 1991, when the same “Scream” did not appear on the screens, and “Nightmare on Elm Street” was almost coming to an end.
The life of a black boy named Jester evokes only sympathy. A sick mother, a sister spins like a bun in a wheel at work, but it still does not bring much money. On one of these days comes a new attack - late payment for the apartment. The owners, these strange people, are doing their best to evict the last residents and then demolish the building for more profit. The only way is offered by Leroy - the boyfriend of sister Schute. In words, the task is simple: you just need to break into the house of the owners, where, according to Leroy, you can break a solid jackpot. Well, there's no choice, so the boy agrees, taking a big risk. As it turns out later, on the risk that can end in death ...
Wes Craven has already told his viewers several times that it is better not to enter other people's homes. This film was no exception. “People under the stairs” is filled with the usual gloomy atmosphere of a high-quality thriller, which has most of the master’s projects. But this is not just a thriller, since the structure of the script can be divided into a pure mystical thriller (the situation itself), an element of a crazy action movie (it is created by the character of Everett McGill, running with a shotgun), as well as the addition of irony (for this the same McGill is responsible in several comic scenes). In a way, this is a small discharge in such a gloomy tape. The film was original, interesting and intriguing until the end. In the script, the same Craven does not make mistakes: everything is spelled out accurately, accurately, highlighting certain features that should be paid attention to. Very interestingly, the scriptwriter created the scene - it seems that the viewer is just an ordinary house, but it is not his owners and the very people under the stairs that are frightening. The house itself is frightened, created as a prison (opening, locking every door) with its caches. But for prisoners, this house is not just a prison. It's a maze for them. And indeed, the Jester, like the viewer, is so surprised by the huge dimensions of this large labyrinth, hiding from hostile owners. Well, confidently spelled characters, the scriptwriter gives each character a certain ability in this adventure - Beetle is the guide, Leroy and his assistant allow the main character to be in this story, Alice is a prisoner who must be rescued. Simply put, each hero has a destiny that binds each action together. In case of violation of the action, the scenario would not have turned out so correct, strong, interesting, attractive. Cameraman Sandy Sissell managed to make the film the adventure that the project is on paper. Every shot, every scene is made slowly, for full immersion in what is happening. The music of Don Peak keeps the viewer in the right tension, like a roller coaster, testing him for strength. Here prevails a fairly calm composition that does not cause anxiety, and then, for no reason, that calm falls silent, opening the way to the unknown. What will happen next, no one knows. Therefore, the intrigue is open to the very end, and the music will hover over each event, reproducing it in any of the genres.
Successfully managed to enjoy the right atmosphere and cast. Everett McGill and Wendy Roby were able to perfectly play a crazy couple with all the lotions, the right character, as well as the madness that the heroes have in their blood. McGill was able not only to scare the madman with his appearance, Everett will be able, according to the script, to laugh well in some situations. In the frame will pretty much fall into the frame familiar Wing Rhames or Bill Cobbs, who performed not so big roles for themselves (Of course, Wing with the role is more lucky, since he has more screen time). And finally, I want to mention the play of then-young Brandon Quintin Adams and A. J. Lenger, both managed to make a real person out of their character, capable of feeling, being surprised, being afraid of the upcoming misfortunes. This is especially true of the role of the squirrel, i.e. Adams, the actor was not afraid to play bravely (in some moments you can think of improvisation). Good cast, good, natural play.

“People Under the Stairs” performed well at the box office, collecting over 30 million with a budget of 6 million. Of the awards, the film has a special jury prize from the Arizona Film Festival, as well as a nomination for Saturn (who and these guys can support any project) in the category Best Young Actor or Actress (the nominee was Brandon Quintin Adams).
Total:

People Under Stairs is not a masterpiece, the best work of Wes Craven, but it is certainly far from the status of the worst. Good, high-quality, atmospheric work of the master of horror is made with surgical accuracy, accuracy and masterful signature. I would like to recommend this creation to eternal fans of this magnificent man, who appreciated his every work, who want to see something new and not cutting the eye (an appeal to the modern viewer), as well as anyone who wants to plunge 25 years ago, enjoying a cocktail of nostalgia.
Thank you for your attention and pleasant viewing!

The film reminded the famous comedy “Home Alone”, and not by chance. I started watching this movie very intensely, and at the end I felt like I was watching a comedy. The tension disappeared as soon as the action began. A horror movie? Really? It was a horror parody. For most of the film, what was happening on the screen made me laugh. The film was filmed in 1991.

The virtues of the movie. There are few.
Good idea. She's certainly not new. A mysterious house where someone or something is hidden. Intriguing, I want to look further. What is it?

Music. In some places, it is matchless and “reminds” that there is a horror movie on the screen. But there's a violin somewhere. Thrash. It doesn’t seem to be used anymore.

I also liked the characters. But ... they do not correspond to the genre of a horror film.
Joke

The boy is a superhero. When he grows up, there will probably be Rimbaud. Some other movie (like Home Alone) would fit in well. I saw no fear or fear in his eyes. Unnatural courage. It’s a good movie, but it’s a horror movie.
Alice

Nice girl. I was worried about her. It is a universal image, quite suitable for a horror film.

Leroy

Boy shirt. Nice look. What's the use?
Cockroach

According to the idea (given that we have a horror movie), this hero should cause antipathy, disgust. It was the opposite. During the film, you begin to empathize with him. I don't think his screams will scare anyone. It's a terrible movie.

"Daddy" and "Mommy"

Well, it's a total thrash. This is Mr. and Mrs. Evil. Grimaces (overplay), stupid suit (daddy), inadequate emotions.
In the end, the roles did not work.

In addition, in the film a lot of other “joints”.
How could you climb into someone else’s house without intelligence in broad daylight and walk along it like a boulevard?
A 10-year-old boy fights a huge Rottweiler and emerges victorious. Of all the troubles.

Stupid tricks. It's worth a kick in the balls.

It's not boring, it's fun. But as a horror movie, nothing.

5 out of 10

Having shot the not quite successful film “Electroshock”, in which there are enough illogical actions of the characters and ridiculous moments, two years later Wes Craven released a picture called “People under the stairs”. It is already more noticeable and not obscure humor, which is more black, thriller, and to a lesser extent horror. In this project, the listed genres in the course of the narrative make themselves felt, appearing chaoticly, scattered. And neither of them outshines each other. There are not many horrors here.

A poor family living in the ghetto will soon be evicted from the room for non-payment. Healthy boogie Leroy (Wing Rhames) offers his friend, who is a member of this family, in which her mother is sick with cancer, one of the brothers is addicted to drugs, another is in prison, and the third, younger, nicknamed Shoot (Brandon Quintin Adams), is just getting acquainted with adult life, so that her younger brother will do one thing with him. The task seems quite doable and Leroy, his friend Spencer and their young partner go on a mission. The fact that the owners will be a little out of this world, they do not even suspect. Most of the windows in the house are barred and have locks on them. But this is only a small part of the strangeness that keeps the house. The rest of the Trinity remains to be seen.

Everything is more or less good in this movie. Heroes often joke, and jokes are not worn and may well amuse and even laugh. The first half presents itself as a thriller. As expected, at first many things are not clear. But after the middle of the film, there will be no questions for the viewer, because the situation becomes clearer in the dialogues between the characters. But in terms of horror, the situation is much sadder. Perhaps sometimes you get the feeling that now there will be something terrible, but in the course of the development of the plot, this thought fades into the background, and then disappears altogether, when you finally understand what the problem is and what the guys will face.
It turns out that the culprits of most of the problems that affect residents of the whole area are the owners of the house. It is worth noting that the performance of Everett McGill and Wendy Roby is impressive. It is so believable to play crazy people who are on their own wave, and also to show this state of mind throughout the film with the help of a look, it still has to try. The young hero justifies his nickname Jester. Even in a desperate situation, he continues to show a black sense of humor.
As for the dynamics, there is running around the house, and very realistic shooting from a shotgun, causing significant damage to the walls, and partial dismemberment, and looking quite plausible attack of a healthy Rottweiler. But what's also striking is a few absurd things that you can see with the naked eye. For the most part, because of them, a potentially good horror movie is perceived closer to the end as a ridiculous horror movie.
5.2 out of 10

To be honest, I watched this film only because the director of the film is Wes Craven, who is for me a specialist in his field (elm street, scream, night flight). But I was completely upset by the viewing. I just didn’t expect such stupidity from Craven and was completely disappointed.
The film tells the story that people have lived in one house under the stairs for a long time, each fell for his own reasons, but together they can not get out of there as the evil owners of the house guard the “gate”. But then there is a boy who will save everyone.
The picture is impossible to watch because of the lack of actors, the complete degradation of the game, absolutely no positive from at least one actor. Stupid speeches of the characters, meaningless their movements, stupid humor, it is simply not clear how you can watch such a film. The picture is completely devoid of the idea and plot of the film. There is no dynamics of the development of the picture, there is no idea of the director. It is a pity that Wes Craven has such a job on his record.
The picture is stupid and not necessary for the development of cinema.

“People under the stairs” is a gloomy and sometimes creepy, not devoid of intrigue and suspense, in general, a noteworthy story composed by Wes Craven, a famous horror director.
It is noteworthy that “People under the stairs” are not deprived of the message left in the narrative by the director. The story of a boy who went to a terrible mansion, about the owners of which legends are made, in order to get money for the operation to his mother and pay for the rent, cannot but touch. All these atrocities, committed on the screen, sometimes even viewed from the position that they are only a background, which reveals other, higher and pressing for us themes.
However, “Men Under the Staircase” also turned out to be a horror movie – and above all, it is still a horror film. Suffice it to recall the first visit of the main character to the basement of the mansion, the curved face of the owner of the mansion, when she with a kitchen knife chases after her adopted daughter, a mad dog, which the malicious couple incites on children, or those moments when the brother of the hostess of the house wears a BDSM suit and wears a gun around the mansion, shooting at everything that makes at least the slightest noise.
Verdict. A horror movie that's fun to watch.

8.5 out of 10

“People under the stairs” is a classic of the horror genre of the times of domestic video salons. I remember taking this film on VHS several times, recording it from the TV channel, and reviewing, reviewing and revising it. This is the kind of movie you might call a childhood movie, and I was afraid of it as a kid. Now it was interesting to review, but recognisable, I have not discovered anything new, and therefore, as a child, I perceived everything correctly. That's good.

It is also worth noting that the author and director of the film is Wes Craven, from under whose hands came such masterpieces as “Nightmare on Elm Street”, the dilogy “Hills Have Eyes” and quadrology “Scream”. Therefore, each work of the master of horrors has its own originality and charm. I think everyone knows that.

If for some reason you did not watch this film, then be sure to look, in the 90’s there were not so many good films and “People under the stairs” is one of them.
8 out of 10

A good movie for lovers of classics. Every little detail in this film seemed so appropriate to me that without these little things, the film wouldn’t have been as exciting. The little girl in a white dress who lives in this gloomy house is kind, sweet, the house itself is dark, full of evil and horror. Without this contrast, the film would not be saturated with paint. Poor 13-year-old Negro Jester, who went one-on-one with the evil that dwells in this damned house. The beautiful view of the building from the outside, the small pond that gives the house even more charming significance, the green grass, the flowers, the well-executed design of the building - a contrast to the horror that was happening in its walls, in the basement, under the stairs.

Brother and sister, seemingly normal, ordinary people, but still it is impossible not to notice that they had their own special secret. “Mom” in the eyes and reigned madness, secretive, and at the same time ready to splash out, to show their strength and power. I want to celebrate the good performance of actress Wendy Roby, who played her. For a children's fairy tale, she showed herself to be the same monster that is ready because of anger to make the poor girl climb into the bath with burning boiling water. "Daddy" was a clear psycho, could have killed everyone at once if his sister had not been near him. The family is not pleasant, is it?

If I were a child, I would be afraid to meet such a brother and sister who wore masks of innocent spouses.

The only thing I didn't like was how the girl changed at the end of the movie. It seemed like an angel, but in fact the embodiment of evil, lurking in her all these years. To attack an old woman, trying to kill her, even after what she did. After all, not everyone is capable of this. I didn't expect it.
I loved the movie. I suggest you look.

7 out of 10

The plot revolves around a boy from the ghetto, nicknamed Jester, who wants to help his family with all his might. And then one day a friend of his has a brilliant idea - to rob the house of the rich. The boy weighed the pros and cons and came to the conclusion that the family still more importantly agrees to this proposal. But he could not even imagine that the house would be a trap, and the family living in it is not quite normal.

The first thing about this movie is the name of its creator. Wes Craven is a celebrity among people who revere horror movies, in a good sense of the word. What was my surprise when it turned out that this is not a horror film where blood flows like a river, but a children's horror story about a little boy, unhappy people trapped in the basement of the house and not seeing the light of white for a very long time and about a frightened girl forced to live with her sadistic parents. Well, let's get started.

The plot part was worked out very well. This applies both to the house, stuffed with traps, secret rooms and locking mechanisms, and in general, and the behavior of the main characters. But with the behavior of secondary heroes, namely antagonists, not everything is smooth. Despite the fact that they have built a high-tech house, there is no special logic in their actions. They run, scream, stumble, and generally feel like watching a sequel to Home Alone. In fact, this is not so bad, but can scare off the average viewer. After all, from a film positioning itself as a horror movie, you expect anything, but not that a 13-year-old skeleton will beat two adults a good half of the film.
As for the actors, they coped in general very well. This is especially true for the youngest of them. Children's emotions do not look played and their dialogues are also spelled out very well, so you really empathize with them. It's a little worse with adults. They periodically throw from extreme to extreme - either they overplay, or do not play, and sometimes they are completely fooled. I suppose that this contrast was made deliberately so that the viewer did not pay much attention to adult actors and would focus all his attention on young talents.

As for the music, it also does not cause any complaints and gives the picture its unique charm - it seems that the intruders are idiots and the kid is very smart, but the gloomy motives do not let you forget that you watch a horror film, albeit designed for a children's audience.
Summing up, I want to say that Wes Craven managed to shoot a good horror story, with a well-developed plot, live main characters and good musical accompaniment. And let the film is quite leisurely, and the action in it is not so much, but it can brighten up your evening with the family.
6 out of 10

Before us is another film by the famous director in the genre of horror Wes Craven. I first saw it about a year ago, but I remember it vaguely from that time on. Today I decided to review this movie and write this review. Well, let's do it.
It tells the story of a boy nicknamed the Jester, who was forced together with his friends to break into the house of a strange and vile couple in order to steal. But after they got into the building, Schute's partners were killed by crazy owners, and he had to somehow get out of this sinister house. In addition, the guy learned that in the basement husband and wife keep people who by this time have already become wild and turned into a howling herd.
Honestly, Wes Craven is inimitable in this job. He always knew how to make high-quality horror films, and then there was something between horror, drama and even comedy. The picture looks interesting and scary, keeps in suspense. Moreover, the actors were pleased. Brandon Adams, who plays the role of Jester, plays really well and watching his character is very interesting. Also, the rest of the actors play well, including Wing Rhames, who, although he played a rather small role, played it wonderfully. In general, if you want to watch a worthwhile movie of the 90s, an interesting horror film or just a nice tape, then, of course, you should watch the movie “People under the stairs”, which will not leave anyone disappointed.
Result: a creepy movie that is perfect for evening viewing. At least, this is a children's horror story that does not scare the viewer much, but will keep him in suspense throughout the screen time and, of course, will leave only good impressions after watching.
7.5 out of 10

Strong movie. With the beginning of the 90s, Wes moved away from the style of the 80s and the theme of “Nightmare on Elm Street”, and shot one of the most striking works in the horror genre of the time – “People under the stairs” according to his own script. This is an ambiguous movie - after it there are a lot of thoughts about the finale and the plot. “People” – the light version of “Tideland”; it is difficult not to notice the obvious allusions to “Alice in Wonderland”: the heroine Alice dressed like a book character, she constantly climbs into the small doors in the walls of the house and gives out lines in the spirit – “sometimes the entrance is the best way out.”
Especially successful were the main villains, played by the actors of Twin Peaks. They are a vivid projection of childhood nightmares, such as a blue hand or red curtains. The story in the film came out amusing, intriguing, funny and instructive. Cinema teaches that any person (whether poor or rich, black or not) is capable of doing good to himself and people, is able to act through I cannot, and is able to be stronger than his fears.

There's enough humor in the picture. I remember the character of Ving Raims and his phrase about 13 years: "Big to suck boobs and small to sleep with women." It’s also one of those movies where the mutants living in the basement are portrayed as humane than the characters McGill and Robie (as in early Swamp Thing (1982)). The final was great, in the spirit of the 90s. Cinema carries a lot of ideas and there are much more than it seems. “People” is the whole Wes film: the director wrote the script for it himself.

I consider this film one of Craven's strongest works.

10 out of 10

Honestly, the film is nostalgia, this film I remember very much, and I watched it for the first time somewhere in 1991-1992. Well, of course, it's always nice to see the big Ving Rams (Pulp Fiction, Day of the Dead, Mission impossible all parts, Blood is paid for, Air Prison, Jacob's Staircase, War Losses, etc., etc.) - he's cool! But the truth here is not Zed, here is Everett McGill (Dune, Siege 2) and Wendy Roby (Twin Pix, vampire in Brooklyn). Wing couldn't handle them. They're one of the best maniac couples, especially the cool Wendy here. The main character (Brandon Quintin Adams), by the way, played in “Moonwalk”, and it seems that there is nothing more noticeable. There are several finds in the film that later became clichés, one being running between the walls first from the shooting Everett and then from his Doberman. The film has a noir atmosphere, there are cannibals, a bunch of corpses, murder, but there is no overkill, no savoring of death and suffering, so this film can be safely called a good entertainment horror.
9 out of 10

In the film “Men under the stairs” correctly reproduced the hellish atmosphere of the home, in which unthinkable, senseless and inhuman atrocities occur, spurred by the deepest and most severe schizophrenia, which is also aggravated by violent malice and physical strength.
How many inhumans are there in the world? How many were tortured by them? Inclination to such things should be identified from early childhood and appropriate measures should be taken to prevent subsequent atrocities (since in most cases these problems manifest themselves very early, although, anything can be). Future maniacs, serial killers and other sadists are easy to distinguish from normal children. They are usually very closed, unsociable, secretive and angry. With a thorough examination of the brain, you can also identify foci of increased excitability and improper functioning of certain brain structures. In relation to living beings, such guys, as a rule, openly show their sophisticated vivacious inclinations. It all starts with animals. And if you do not start psychological rehabilitation (reading spiritual literature, familiarizing yourself with nature and various types of art, protecting yourself from everything negative, etc.) and physiological treatment (regular outdoor sports, balanced nutrition, physiotherapeutic procedures, etc.), then later a person becomes an object for satisfying his perverted needs. And then, except for life imprisonment or the death penalty, there are no other options.
The exact genre of the film “People under the stairs” cannot be accurately determined. It's a mix. The house where a couple of paranoids live is very disgusting. You can immediately see that there are sick people who do not fully understand what they are doing. The appearance, as well as the interior, are full of dirty soreness, fear, evil, vile perversion and some terrible secret that gives death and suffering. Although the strict hostess seems to be watching the order, and outwardly everything looks normal. In movies like this, usually someone has to bring schizophrenics out. And as always, such a difficult mission is assigned to someone who at first seems weak to restore justice. In this picture, such a hero is depicted as a child. It is difficult to find a character who is weaker than him. But by all laws, only such men are capable of what all others are not capable of.
It is an interesting film, but equally unpleasant. It's sickening to watch all this... But still ten points.

10 out of 10