The People Under the Stairs

Written and directed by Wes Craven, The People Under the Stairs details the chaos and horror that ensues after a young boy (Brandon Adams’ Fool) is trapped within a home occupied by a demented man and woman (and their myriad of child hostages). It’s a decent premise that’s employed to pervasively (and increasingly) unwatchable effect by Craven, as the filmmaker’s inability to deliver a single sympathetic character is compounded by a situation that grows more and more tedious as time progresses – with Craven’s decision to infuse the picture’s villains with a decidedly (and aggressively) over-the-top feel draining the proceedings of any dread or frightfulness (ie it’s all just so campy). The admittedly effective set design remains a sole highlight within the otherwise interminable production, and it’s worth noting, too, that Craven’s ongoing efforts at social commentary fall hopelessly flat (and ultimately contribute heavily to the movie’s palpable vibe of pointlessness). The end result is an almost total misfire from a decidedly erratic filmmaker, with the picture’s consistently wrong-headed execution especially disappointing given the potential inherent in the horror-friendly setup.

* out of ****