The People Under the Stairs

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The People Under the Stairs

R

Released Nov 1, 1991

1h 42m

Horror

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

70%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When young Fool (Brandon Adams) breaks into the home of his family's greedy and uncaring landlords, he discovers a disturbing scenario where incestuous adult siblings have mutilated a number of boys and kept them imprisoned under stairs in their large, creepy house. As Fool attempts to flee before the psychopaths can catch him, he meets their daughter, Alice (A.J. Langer), who has been spared any extreme discipline by her deranged parents. Can Fool and Alice escape before it's too late?

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Critics Consensus

Held aloft by gonzo black comedy and socially conscious subtext, The People Under The Stairs marks a unique -- though wildly uneven -- change of pace for director Wes Craven.

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Henry Sheehan

Chicago Reader

The People Under the Stairs may be as misshapen as the people who live in this basement, but it might be as subversive too.

Rated: 3/4

May 26, 2022

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

A pretense of social responsibility and most of the necessary tension get lost in a combination of excessive gore and over-the-top perfs in The People Under the Stairs.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

There are a few push-button frights, but a total dearth of mind-disturbing terror; the humour, too, is broad, crowd-pleasing stuff.

Jun 24, 2006

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

As with most Craven images, this one suffers from lackluster performances, a clumsy screenplay, a campy tone, and a noticeable lack of suspense.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jun 11, 2023

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

...those shrieking, reaching victims will always stay with me.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 22, 2022

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Randall King

Winnipeg Free Press

It’s both a nasty thriller and a concise satire of race and class in America.

Mar 17, 2022

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Jerod S

It's played with a light hand, but when you think about it, all those mutilated boys living under the stairs....it's pretty nasty. Fool is just the brother to break them out...

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/28/24

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Regina W

This wasn't what I was expecting and though it's an old movie and I just watched for the first time, it didn't age well. I found it to be very weird I think I would have then.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/26/24

Full Review

Erik B

A strange early-90's horror/comedy from Wes Craven. It's an absurd concept, but still enjoyable to watch as it still has that 80's schlock vibe, but is clearly set in the 90's. Worth a watch, but I don't find it to be the classic others claim it to be.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/24/24

Full Review

John F

While it's not Craven's best, its protagonists are worth rooting for and the story makes up for some of its limitations (e.g., Rhames gets killed off way too soon).

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/09/24

Full Review

Ethan M

This was not a bad horror movie and had a few good moments, but it is definitely not a good one. It was a watchable experience just lacked some suspense.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

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Drift B

Watchable nothing special

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/03/24

Full Review

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Wes Craven

Director

Brandon Quintin Adams

Fool

Everett McGill

Man

Wendy Robie

Woman

A.J. Langer

Alice

Ving Rhames

Leroy

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - I Busted This House's Cherry

2:57

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - You're Not My Mother

2:54

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - Total Spring Cleaning

2:15

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - The House That Keeps You In

2:14

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - Dead Meat

2:16

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - Run, Fool!

2:04

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - Don't Go in the Basement

2:56

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - A Dog and a Roach

3:09

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - Get Away From the Walls

2:51

The People Under the Stairs: Official Clip - Kiss Your Ass Goodbye

3:08

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Synopsis

When young Fool (Brandon Adams) breaks into the home of his family's greedy and uncaring landlords, he discovers a disturbing scenario where incestuous adult siblings have mutilated a number of boys and kept them imprisoned under stairs in their large, creepy house. As Fool attempts to flee before the psychopaths can catch him, he meets their daughter, Alice (A.J. Langer), who has been spared any extreme discipline by her deranged parents. Can Fool and Alice escape before it's too late?

Director: Wes Craven
Producer: Stuart M. Besser, Marianne Maddalena
Screenwriter: Wes Craven
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $21.9M
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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