I HATE THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT is an indie thriller that won over film festival audiences everywhere. You’ll know why when you watch it and now it’s finally being released on VOD. Read our full I Hate the Man in My Basement review here!

I Hate the Man in My Basement is an amazing indie thriller. It’s actually a bit of a genre-hybrid since it also includes drama, comedy, and romance. Still, there’s that man in the basement hated by the lead character, so it’s pretty serious as well.

This movie won the hearts of film festival audiences everywhere and it’s easy to see why. It’s quite an emotional ride that will force you to answer the question our protagonist asks at one point: What if it was you?

Continue reading our I Hate the Man in My Basement review below.

I Hate the Man in My Basement – Movie Review

Chris Marquette steals the screen

I’ve been a fan of Chris Marquette for quite some time. He usually plays quite comedic roles such as that of Ryan Reynold’s younger brother in Just Friends (2005), a horny teenager in The Girl Next Door (2004) or “one of us” in Fanboys (2009). Also, he’s been in several episodes of the TV series Barry.

However, Chris Marquette has also done horror with Fear, Inc (2016). And while I always loved him in comedies as a kid or young adult, he is now a grown man with grown-up issues. Such as being widowed and wanting to punish the man responsible for this.

With I Hate the Man in My Basement, I was often in awe with Chris Marquette’s performance as Claude. He is charming and likable but also hurting in an extreme way. I loved how Marquette was able to incorporate humor perfectly whenever suited. At the same time, I believed him very capable of killing!

I Hate the Man in My Basement – Movie Review

Wonderful supporting cast

There are several wonderful supporting actors in I Hate the Man in My Basement. First, I simply have to mention Nora-Jane Noone who I adore. Actually, she isn’t as much a supporting character as a co-star in the final half. Still, I would say Chris Marquette is the absolute lead in this movie.

Watching Nora-Jane Noone in I Hate the Man in My Basement just reminded me that I don’t see her in nearly enough movies. She is always amazing in whatever she does. And yes, you should definitely have seen her before.

She was in the brilliant The Descent (2005) by Neil Marshall. Also, she was in Doomsday (2008) and more recently in the horror-thrillers Estranged (2015) and 12 Feet Deep (2017). Both are very much worth watching for very different reasons. Even if the latter also has a few issues in terms of plot.

In the I Hate the Man in My Basement title role, we have Manny Montana. You may know him from TV series such as ConvictionRosewood, and Good Girls. Also, he was in the 2018 Clint Eastwood movie The Mule. In this new movie, Manny Montana delivers a performance that should lead to many new roles!

Watch I Hate the Man in My Basement on VOD now!

Dustin Cook wrote and directed I Hate the Man in My Basement and I am an immediate fan of his now! Sure, he did also manage to attach lead actors I adore, but the story itself is just wonderful. And heartbreaking!

This is the feature film debut of Dustin Cook who previously worked on a TV series and directed two short films. However, he already has a documentary feature in the works [as director] which is currently filming.

I was a bit worried about the pace at first since it does have a slow-burn vibe, but the story continuously progresses. In other words, this isn’t a slow-burner that moves nowhere slowly. We are constantly seeing new layers of the characters and getting more background information.

Will you know everything by the end of I Hate the Man in My Basement? No, not every single detail. But that’s part of the point. You have to move on from the terrible things in your past. How you do this, is an entirely different thing.

Please, do not miss out on I Hate the Man in My Basement.

I Hate the Man in My Basement is out on VOD in the US from March 10, 2020.

Details

Director: Dustin Cook
Writer: Dustin Cook
Stars: Chris Marquette, Nora-Jane Noone, Manny Montana, Jeffrey Doornbos, Cyrus Farmer, Trisha LaFache, Mary Birdsong, Angie Simms, Benedita Pereira

Plot

Lonely and isolated, Claude is still grieving the murder of his wife. When he’s reluctantly coerced by his obnoxious co-worker to join him for some salsa lessons, Claude develops an unexpected crush on his instructor Kyra. Unfortunately, he’s not sure how to move forward with this budding romance since he still has an unconventional situation in his basement.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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