It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Perhaps one of Wes Craven's most masterful films, The People Under The Stairs is oddly entertaining ride of greed, sacrifice and humility. Craven is no stranger to doing something different in his work. He goes into a ghetto filled with poverty and miserable lower-class workers who are resorting to crime for money. The main characters (Brandon Quintin Adams and Ving Rhames) go to great lengths to rob the tenant of their apartment complex, who are not as they seem. The father figure, played by Everett McGill, is a stern ruthless man who dresses up in a creepy black leather suit when chasing the burglars. The mother, Wendy Robie, is a wicked woman who plays an abusive nasty parent to the children. The film's writing is smart and adds a valuable lesson pulling on heart strings and a possibility of bringing up political debate. The film does have its share of jump moments and fascinating scenes, it is surely worth a horror aficionado's time.

Fool (Brandon Quintin Adams) is from the drug infested ghetto getting evicted along with his Mama and Ruby (Kelly Jo Minter). Leroy (Ving Rhames) gets Fool to join in a break-in to the home of the landlord evicting him. A couple (Everett McGill, Wendy Robie) at the house is keeping Alice (A.J. Langer) locked up in the house. There are creepy people in the walls and under the stairs. The couple leaves the heavily secured house. Leroy assumes that they are guarding valuable things. They break in. When the couple returns, they find that they're trapped in the house.The ghetto start to the movie seems very fake and dated. It is probably better to skip most if not all of it. I don't find the ghetto slumlord storyline all that compelling. The movie would work well without doing the back story first. The three of them driving to the house is a perfectly good opening scene. Once Fool is inside the house, the movie become a simple freak funhouse movie. It has good gory fun. Quite frankly, I don't even want Fool to escape that first time. It's a pretty simple well made horror and who doesn't love daddy in his S&M gear.

This was first watch, I never seen it before, I saw for £1 in shop, so I said what the hell it's £1, you go wrong with that. I heard a lot people saying this was really good horror movie, I was really looking forward to it. At the end of the movie , My words were, whoa that was one hell of a ride, one hell of crazy movie. I was on edge of seat the whole time of the movie, I don't even think I took eyes of screen for second. The movie flowed great nothing drag for to long, action scene didn't to long end and really enjoyed the movie came to end. I found the movie really tense at times but one think that did annoy me, is the last scene of the movie.All those people out side that house, never notice those strange looking people coming out the house. , That the only think that annoyed me in this movie. The great was great, that boy sure could Fight! I give this move 8 out of 10

I remember when this movie first came out I had to be about 8 or 9 years old. Growing up I had a cool mom who loved watching horror movies and she used to let me watch them with her. This used to be one of my favorite movies. Every chance it was on I would watch it. Lets face it they don't make movies like this anymore. Nothing special about this movie just good old fashion horror fun. I love around Halloween time when you turn on the TV and you have a movie like People Under the Stairs on and you say to yourself: 'it's been years since I seen this'. I don't understand how this movie has so many bad reviews what else can you ask for from a Wes Craven movie?! People are just spoiled these days . You can give me this movie over some of the crap that Hollywood has pooped out in the past 10 years. Once my daughter is old enough we will both sit down and watch the awesomeness that is People Under the Stairs.