SummaryTwo adults and a juvenile break into a house occupied by a brother and sister and their stolen children. There, they must fight for their lives.
Directed By:Wes Craven
Written By:Wes Craven
The People Under the Stairs
Metascore
Mixed or Average
57
User score
Generally Favorable
7.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
57
47% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
27% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
27% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
90
A terrifically effective scare show, a virtuoso work of cinematic terror incorporating superior cinematography and production design -- and, most important of all, comic relief. [04 Nov 1991, p.F6]
80
Since this is a movie about deranged racists driven by a virulent strain of midcentury Christian moralism to keep children in cages while conspiring to disenfranchise the poor, that’s not going to work. Everything that happens in this movie could happen next month and it would be a one-day cable-news story that Fox would probably not cover.
67
While The People Under the Stairs may leave some horror fans unsatisfied and other horror detractors repulsed, it ought to satisfy those viewers who appreciate a thoughtful and visceral movie entertainment.
60
Though it may not be one of Craven’s very best efforts, it does create a sense of tension seldom felt in horror cinema.
40
A pretense of social responsibility and most of the necessary tension get lost in a combination of excessive gore and over-the-top perfs in The People Under the Stairs.
30
Craven also wrote the script here, based on a news story about California parents who kept their children locked in the basement for many years. That's scary -- and so is how far Craven has fallen.
25
If there were truth in advertising, The People Under the Stairs would be called The Not Very Scary Movie Set Inside a Grungy, Badly Lit House.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.1
68% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
26% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
5% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Feb 17, 2026
7
This is very engaging and memorable. It’s so entertaining for the first half. Interesting characters and excellent (slightly over-the-top) acting contribute to a fantastic start. Sadly some of the dubbing isn’t the best. The second half was a little repetitive, shame that the story can’t keep the same bat poop crazy pacing of the first half. The finale is excellent. It’s flawed but I do love it.
Production Company:
- Alive Films
Release Date:Nov 1, 1991
Duration:1 h 42 m
Rating:R
Tagline:In every neighborhood there is one house that adults whisper about and children cross the street to avoid. Now Wes Craven, creator of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" takes you inside...
Awards
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 6 Nominations
Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film (BIFFF)
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
