The People Under the Stairs

R

Released Nov 1, 1991

1 hr. 42 min.

Horror

Comedy

Mystery & Thriller

List

70%

33 Reviews

Tomatometer

61%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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

Full Review

Drift B

Watchable nothing special

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/03/24

Full Review

Giuseppe S

The People under the Stairs 1991 Uno dei film più sottovalutati degli anni 90 di Wes Craven ma contemporaneamente uno dei suoi migliori film horror sociale e politico un Grande film di Critica Sociale

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/02/23

Full Review

michael b

Absoulity Fantastic Horror Movie, With A Little Bit Of Humear,Loved It. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/02/23

Full Review

Madie R

A bit of a slow start, but once the two adults and Fool break into the house buckle up for one thrilling roller coaster ride. Wes Craven is a master of creating the perfect nightmare. The story is messed up beyond reason (in a good way), but it's smart and never lets up for a second.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/24/23

Full Review

Scott H

God awful movie. Right down there with I Know What You Did Last Summer awful. I expected better, much better, from Wes Craven.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/16/23

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

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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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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

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

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 22, 2022

Full Review

Randall King

Winnipeg Free Press

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

Mar 17, 2022

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Wes Craven, Shep Gordon
Screenwriter: Wes Craven
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Comedy, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $21.9M
Sound Mix: Surround

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