The People Under the Stairs

Wes Craven wrote and directed this surrealistic horror-comedy, which was inspired by a true story of parents keeping their children locked in a basement for years. Fool (Brandon Adams), an African-American teen, breaks into the home of the wealthy landlords who evicted his family from a ghetto ...more

Of all the films Wes Craven made between the commercial peaks of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, this blackly comedic exercise ranks up there with The Serpent And The Rainbow as the best. Craven's clever script mixes fairy tale elements (wicked parents, lost children, a hidden fortune, etc.) with a storyline that touches on serious subjects like racism and child abuse to create an intelligent, socially conscious backdrop for the gruesome goings-on. The People Under the Stairs also benefits ...more