The People Under the Stairs

11/1/19911h 43m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ In every neighborhood, there is one house that adults whisper about and children cross the street to avoid. ~

Overview:

Trapped inside a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple, a young boy quickly learns the true nature of the homicidal inhabitants, and secret creatures hidden deep within the walls.

Director:

Wes Craven

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$6,000,000.00

Revenue:

$31,400,000.00

Key words:

child abuse
escape
shotgun
serial killer
landlord
wrongful imprisonment
cannibal
incest
blunt
mental illness
break in
psychotic
guard dog
bad landlord
disfigurement
tarot
greedy developer
neighborhood
landlord tenant relationship
shocking
poor kid
murderous pair
trapped in a house
class warfare
in the walls
mother daughter relationship
brother sister relationship
sexual fetish
absurd
antagonistic
ridiculous

Cast

Brandon Quintin Adams

~ as ~

Fool

Everett McGill

~ as ~

Man

Wendy Robie

~ as ~

Woman

A. J. Langer

~ as ~

Alice

Ving Rhames

~ as ~

Leroy

Sean Whalen

~ as ~

Roach

Bill Cobbs

~ as ~

Grandpa Booker

Kelly Jo Minter

~ as ~

Ruby

Jeremy Roberts

~ as ~

Spencer

Conni Marie Brazelton

~ as ~

Mary

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

t
tmdb28039023
Written 3 year(s) ago
6
The plot follows a boy and two adult thieves who, after breaking in to steal a collection of rare coins, become trapped in a house belonging to a strange couple. These thieves are so inept they leave their van parked next to the house, in full view of a couple of policemen who are even more inept; “This truck was used to rob a liquor store last night,” they inform the homeowners, whereupon they just drive off, leaving the getaway vehicle right where it is (but then cops are always incompetent in a Wes Craven film; cf. The Last House on the Left).

The inside of the house, which appears to have been designed by serial killer H.H. Holmes, is full of booby traps, including a door whose knob has been rigged to deliver electric shocks – in one hilarious scene, young Fool (Brandon Quintin Adams) grabs the doorknob with one hand while holding Leroy's (Ving Rhames) hand with the other; Leroy’s other hand is currently between a Rottweiler’s fangs, and the electrical charge travels through the two intruders and knocks out the dog.

The People Under the Stairs is like a Scooby Doo episode with a lot more blood in it; it’s indeed so ludicrous that the stolen coins are meant to pay for “mom's operation.” Having said that, there’s no question it was Craven’s intention all along to make a comedy. Moreover, it's impossible not to have a soft spot for a movie that includes a kid punching a Rottweiler in the face, an homage to The Shining, and the aforementioned dog going on an unexpected ride down a homemade slide, all in the space of just over three minutes.