This really is nothing special and the only things good here are the few laughs and the shimmering through of Cravens genius. This really is nothing more than a twisted film in which everything is so so, few are good and some just bad and unnecessary. It reminded me a lot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in a way and seemed like a not so good tribute to it. Skip this one and rent something else from the SCAREMASTER Craven:For instance Freddy 1 or 6 or Scream 1 or 2 or even his produced Wishmaster, but not this one!!! All in all 5 out of 10

i dont know about the rest of you but i enjoyed this film, It wasnt scary, it didnt really shock and there was no suspence. It was pure story that pushed this film along you just wanted to see what was going to happen next. Wes craven is not my fav director but he did well with this film it was well made. The acting was what you come to expect from this sort of film. I found this film to be very funny at times and just down right strange. Was there any need for the gimp costume it just looked silly. overall i give this film a 6/10

First time I heard this film dates back at least 4-5 years ago, I was at my friend's house and we decided to see it but for I don't know what reason, we finally didn't. Anyway, I got the chance to see it today and I gotta tell ya, it is good. Something I want to point out, don't expect this film to be ''Awesome'' or ''great'', still doesn't mean you can't give this movie a chance, it was decent. I like how they had the characters, you could see and feel the evil presence in mom and dad. The main character is young, which adds more to the story, I wouldn't say the film is a horror movie, more like a thriller or something. The film has a few, very few jump scenes, but still, they are pretty good. Something else I wanna say, if you are a horror/thriller fan, give this movie a chance, it's worth seen, it's the kind of movie you want to see at night.

File this under "Missed Opportunity" or "Wrong-Headed". A very creepy poster suggested a creepy, dark, nasty little horror pic from genre maven Wes Craven. Unfortunately, the film's mainstream look and feel undermine the subversive bits. Everything is too clean, too art directed, too polished looking. The "people under the stairs" are too well lit, too obvious, and too made up. The film's protagonist, a small black boy named "Fool", is awful, and his adventures in a house of surprises (mostly dull surprises) are illogical and carry no emotional weight. Craven had the resources to produce a driving, ugly, brutal excursion into perversion. Instead, he opted for Goosebumps With Leather.

A boy tries to rob a house --to save his family from eviction and pay for a cancer operation for his mother!-- only to find himself locked inside with a crazy and violent brother and sister with tendency to abduct would-be sons, who are mutilated and locked in the basement if they misbehave. How about that. I never thought I'd be able to sum up that plot in one sentence. This film, written and directed by Wes Craven, has one of the most preposterous premises I have ever seen. The strange thing is that Craven tells the story with such energy that the viewer nearly becomes sucked into the crazy internal logic. Unfortunately, as is the case in most horror films, the characters in this film have a tendency to make unbelievable choices. The situational ethics employed by Craven are nothing to boast about either. Still, it is an interesting and often entertaining misfire.

Yes I see the Pulp Fiction stuff. Yes I see the Annihilator the bands cover so called Allison In Hell. It's a different kind of movie. Still just an average movie. 5 stars not above.

Another misfire from director Wes Craven, here concocting an unappetizing scenario concerning a modern black family menaced by their white landlords, despicable people who have imprisoned various poor souls underneath their mansion. Craven has said the hissable, wealthy white folk were based on Ronald and Nancy Reagan, which may make the narrative play as dark comedy (while also giving the proceedings a racial and social undermining), but if so the lousy writing doesn't allow for much satire--or even a clever pay-off. It's indeed twisted and askew...but it isn't funny, what with the dung-colored art direction, grimy atmospherics and mediocre performances, including Sean Whalen's, who overworks his inherent smarminess. *1/2 from ****

People Under the Stairs is really a disturbing horror film that has a good cast which includes Brandon Quintin Adams, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, A.J. Langer, Ving Rhames, Sean Whalen, Bill Cobbs, Kelly Jo Minter, Jeremy Roberts, Conni Marie Brazelton, Joshua Cox, John Hostetter, and John Mahon. The acting by all of these actors is very good. McGill is really excellent in this film. I thought that he performed good. The thrills is really good and some of it is surprising. The movie is filmed very good. The music is good. The film is quite interesting and the movie really keeps you going until the end. This is a very good and thrilling film. If you like includes Brandon Quintin Adams, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, A.J. Langer, Ving Rhames, Sean Whalen, Bill Cobbs, the rest of the cast in the film, Horror, Thrillers, Dramas, and interesting films then I strongly recommend you to see this film today!

Wes Craven was never one to shy away from important social issues in his work and The People Under the Stairs is no exception. He mixes horror with a bit of wacky humor in the story of an inner city boy who assists in robbing the home of his wicked landlords and discovers that they're even more diabolical than he originally thought. There are some very unforgettable images from this film such as a young girl being forced into a scalding hot bath and a young boy whose turn has been ripped out.

I CANNOT believe how bad this movie was. i don't know what i just watched. why would someone make this? why would wes craven write such a stupid story. everything in this movie was terrible. so laughably stupid. there are NUMEROUS moments that felt like they came straight out of the 3 stooges. i was dumbfounded. i started laughing a decent amount but i didn't have the patience to consider it a hilariocity (1 viewing, 11/19/2020)