Basement – Nice Social Drama
Director: Robert Rosenbaum
Writer: Robert Rosenbaum (Screenplay)
Starring: Brian Krause, Rizwan Manji, Hunter Emery, Shannon Marie Sullivan, RJ Brown, Jordana Rose
Plot: At the onset of next Big War, nine neighbors, trapped beneath a city under siege, must overcome their prejudice in order to survive the night.
Runtime: 1 Hour 27 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Basement starts as the sirens sound around a big city, leading to Jake (Krause) taking his daughter Hannah (Rose) to the basement for safety, the pair are joined by Steve (Emery), Lily (Sullivan), Louis (Brown) and Angela (Prades) as they look to see out the danger.
As the people in the basement are left to question what is going on above them, they will find themselves needing to put their own differences aside if they are going to survive the night.
Thoughts on Basement
Characters & Performances – Jake is the widowed father that is looking to keep his daughter safe when a potential war breaks out, looking to keep her safe in the building basement, he is willing to help his neighbours, trying to keep a neutral ground to everyone he invites in for safety. Sal is the shopkeeper that has been dealing with racial behavior because of his Muslim beliefs for years. In the basement, he will see this coming back towards him once again, this time through people he considered friends. Steve is trying to keep his pregnant wife safe, this will see him react in a protective racist behavior towards anyone who isn’t the same as him, this character does feel very similar to what we saw in ‘The Forever Purge’ played by Josh Lucas, using the lines that I just don’t mix outside my normal group. These three characters will clash and discuss social injustices faced in life, along with Louis a young black man that is seeking shelter. When it comes to the female characters, Hannah is the daughter of Jake who is recording her time in the basement, showing a child’s point of view, Lilly is heavily pregnant, bringing calm to the basement. This movie does have strong performances, as you can see how the movie is giving each actor a chance to shine in different moments of the film.
Story – The story here follows residents of a neighbourhood trying to taking shelter in a basement when the city comes under attack, leading to the tensions rising and the social reactions showing the worst in people. The story will put the major point on social difference people go through in life, explaining how you will never know what it is like walking in other people’s shoes. The story will keep everything within the basement, which will keep the story within the point of view of the people in there, which leaves us in the middle of the unknown about what is happening.
Themes – Basement is a drama thriller that will show a small group of survivors taking shelter in a basement, which will become the main setting, helping the story keep the mystery about what is happening, letting the social discussion take center stage.
Final Thoughts – Basement is a great social commentary movie, filled with tension.
