Would you allow a stranger to live in your basement for an obscene amount of money? That’s the question at the center of The Man in My Basement starring Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe.
In the first teaser trailer for the Andscape thriller, Dafoe’s character is a mysterious businessman named Anniston Bennet who shows up unannounced on Hawkins’ doorstep with a bizarre offer.
“Mr. Charles Blakey, I have it in mind to rent your basement for a couple of months,” Dafoe says.
Hawkins, playing an unemployed man in financial distress, initially refuses. “I’m sorry mister, this house isn’t for sale.”
“I’m only interested in renting,” Dafoe responds.
He offers Blakey $1,000 a day for 65 days, with one condition. “The only thing I ask of you is that you tell no one of our arrangement.”
“What do you say, do we have a deal?” he continues.
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According to the official description, the story unfolds in the African American neighborhood of Sag Harbor, New York, where Blakey “is out of work, out of luck and on the verge of foreclosure on his ancestral home.” Bennet’s offer could wipe out his debt, but at what cost.
Anna Diop, Jonathan Ajayi, Gershwyn Eustache Jnr., Pamela Nomvete, and Tamara Lawrance also have roles in the thriller.
The film is based on the 2004 novel by bestselling author Walter Mosley, who is known for Devil in a Blue Dress and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. In the book, Mosley explores themes of race, freedom, and manipulation.
Nadia Latif (Foresight) directed the movie and co-wrote the script with Mosley. The psychological thriller is produced by Diane Houslin and John Giwa-Amu.
Jonathan Majors was originally set to star and executive produce the film, per Deadline but he was removed from the project following his 2023 assault conviction, which led to him being cut from many projects.
The Man in My Basement is expected to be released in theaters and on Hulu in fall 2025.
Watch the teaser trailer below:
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