TIFF is officially underway with great energy as psychological thriller “The Man in My Basement” takes its bow on the world’s stage September 12, 2025. Willem Dafoe and Corey Hawkins star in a taut exploration of race, privilege, and the art of storytelling, adapted from the novel by Walter Mosley and directed by Nadia Latif—who makes her feature debut at TIFF. A film that asks its audience to consider who has ownership over history and how individual choices can impact our shared society. With TIFF giving key pitch-curtain raises to bold new voices—this already feels buzzy. The reasons why “The Man in My Basement” must be seen and what sets it apart.
An Engaging Tale at TIFF
TIFF 2025 opens up essentially with a blend of big-star vehicles and something from rather more emergent talents, within which “The Man in My Basement” very much falls. The film essentially follows the story of a young Black man—Corey Hawkins, at least within whose life things seem to fall apart. He is about to lose his family home when suddenly Willem Dafoe meanders into the frame with an offer for him to allow an odd basement rental to go ahead for a large sum of money. What starts out as a simple transaction turns itself eventually inside out into some dark dynamic of power and secrets shared.
Nadia Latif’s Impressive First Step
A dream project. This is how first-time director Nadia Latif describes it. She adapted Mosley’s book to come up with a film set mainly in one dingy basement. “I want them to feel unsettled, and I want them to feel curious.” Speaking after the premiere, Latif added, “Whoever sits down and thinks about who tells them stories … And actually does their own kind of investigation into what they believe their place in the world to be.”
Willem Dafoe’s Enigmatic Part
Dafoe plays the weird renter, a part he happily took on after seeing the script. The 69-year-old man known for strong roles in films like “Spider-Man” and “The Lighthouse,” liked this tale because it deals with real problems. “I liked the story and I liked how it’s able to discuss certain things that are in the air of concern to me,” Dafoe said. He even shared that the script taught him new things about race and history-and Latif helped teach him more while they shot scenes together.
Corey Hawkins Brings Soul
Hawkins, recently of “The Walking Dead” and “Straight Outta Compton,” here plays the beleaguered homeowner. In his portrayal, Hawkins shares that this is a man forced by circumstance to make difficult decisions, thereby confronting who he was in days gone by and who he will become. The two leads sit opposite each other sharing long, intense basement conversations piling layer upon layer of tension onto already edgy viewers.
This film is no typical thriller, but a probing examination of mammoth themes. It takes on issues of racial identity and class privilege in cutting exchanges that speak directly to contemporary society. Who gets to write history? How does power play out in everyday deals? Latif hopes the questions stick with people. “I hope that people do feel unsettled by it. I think there’s some really kind of big, ugly things that are discussed within the film,” she shared.
From Book to Screen
The 2003 novel by Walter Mosley struck a chord for its sharp angle on Black experience in America. Latif takes that core, retains it but heightens it for the big screen. Mostly shot in one location, thus creating in itself claustrophobia that reflects directly on its characters’ state of entrapment, TIFF audiences greeted it with strong applause calling it a fresh voice in storytelling.
TIFF has previously premiered buzzworthy thrillers such as “The Woman King” in 2022. “The Man in My Basement” follows that formula with its timely themes. The festival, which runs until September 22, 2025, attracts stars and filmmakers from all over the globe. Dafoe strode the red carpet in fine style saying this picture goes to new places.
Early reviews have praised performances and directing. “It’s a slow-burn mind game that sticks with you,” said one TIFF reviewer. Dafoe and Hawkins, going head to head, turn the basement into a war zone. Latif gets plaudits for his mix of hush with bursts of talk– actual tension, not fake stuff.
In a year of earnest social-issue movies, this picture is the standout. It asks the tough questions with as much complexity and no easy answers as in Mosley’s books. While history is being rewritten IRL, it drops in to remind us there’s always more beneath the surface. Latif — a UK up-and-comer — brings new eyes to American narratives, mixing thriller chills and piquant smarts.
Following its debut at TIFF, “The Man in My Basement” goes to cinemas on September 12, 2025, by A24. People who like Dafoe’s acting or Mosley’s books will enjoy this film. It runs for only 100 minutes and is powerful; great for autumn evening films.
A Call to Reflect
To play with your mind, that is what Latif wants. In the interviews, she pressed on owning your story. “Do your own kind of investigation,” she pressed. Be it family history or world events, the film nudges us to question the tales we hear.
TIFF 2025 has plenty of gems but this thriller cuts deep. More than just entertainment, it reflects back on society’s divides. As the credits roll, you’ll walk out thinking about your own basement secrets.
