JIFF: The Man in the Basement

For his new film, Philippe Le Guay (Service Entrance) ventures for the first time on the grounds of domestic thriller, and delivers a captivating story of manipulation, featuring a frightening performance by François Cluzet.

Jewish Parisians Simon and Helen decide to sell a basement in their building. However, the man (François Cluzet, The Intouchables) who buys it has a troubled past, and as his motivations and antisemitism are revealed the couple's life is turned upside down. The couple tries desperately to cancel the sale but to no avail. Worse still, the new owner becomes a threat to Simon and Helen's family as he befriends their teenage daughter on whom he seems to exert a perverted influence. A captivating and unsettling domestic thriller.

Rating

E

Language

French (English subtitles)

Cast

François Cluzet, Bérénice Bejo

Director

Philippe Le Guay