Synopsis
A Parisian couple decides to sell an unsanitary basement in their building. A very ordinary, nondescript man, Mr. Fonzic, shows up to buy it. Nothing unusual there, until the man moves into the cellar and makes it his permanent residence. The couple tries desperately to cancel the sale but to no avail. Worse, Mr. Fonzic becomes a threat to their family as he befriends their teenage daughter on whom he seems to exert a perverted influence.
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Cast
- François CluzetJacques Fonzic
- Bérénice BejoHélène Sandberg
- Jérémie RenierSimon Sandberg
- Jonathan ZaccaïDavid Sandberg
- Martine ChevallierMaître Rivière
- Jack ClaudanyLe proviseur
- Antoine LevannierAmos
- Victoria EberJustine
- Denise ChalemNelly Sandberg
- Patrick DescampsGrand-père Gérard
Recommendations
- 75
TheWrap
The performances are impeccable, and the film’s structural elements are deftly handled across the board. - 75
RogerEbert.com
The Man in the Basement doesn’t endorse a single answer; it ends on a deliberately tentative note, leaving the viewer thoroughly unsettled. - 63
Movie Nation
Cluzet brings a marvelous edge to the tit-for-tat exchanges that ratchet up the anger, which is pretty much what his character wants. Oh yes, he’s easy to hate. - 50
The New York Times
Somewhere in “The Man in the Basement” there is a smart psychodrama sharpened by political urgency, but what we get is a middling think piece that too quickly loses momentum — and peters out by the end.
