The People Under the Stairs

"In every neighborhood, there is one house that adults whisper about and children cross the street to avoid."

1991 1h 42m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 804

HorrorComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Trapped inside a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple, a young boy quickly learns the true nature of the homicidal inhabitants, and secret creatures hidden deep within the walls.

“In every neighborhood, there is one house that adults whisper about and children cross the street to avoid.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Peacock PremiumSubscription

Peacock Premium PlusSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Brandon Quintin Adams
Fool
Everett McGill
Man
Wendy Robie
Woman
A. J. Langer
Alice
Ving Rhames
Leroy
Sean Whalen
Roach
Bill Cobbs
Grandpa Booker
Kelly Jo Minter
Ruby Williams

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Wes Craven
Writers: Wes Craven
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 5.2× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

35 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Wes Craven, shot by Sandi Sissel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Don Peake. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor James Coblentz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Brandon Quintin Adams and Everett McGill and Wendy Robie carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "In every neighborhood, there is one house that adults whisper about and children cross the street to avoid.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0105121 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Wes Craven directs. Sandi Sissel behind the camera. Don Peake scores. James Coblentz cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 5.2× over at the box office.
235 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Wes Craven, shot by Sandi Sissel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Don Peake. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor James Coblentz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Brandon Quintin Adams and Everett McGill and Wendy Robie carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "In every neighborhood, there is one house that adults whisper about and children cross the street to avoid.".
8IMDB entry: tt0105121 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 31 themes, including "child abuse", "escape", "shotgun", "serial killer".

The technical file

Cinematography: Sandi Sissel
Original score: Don Peake
Editing: James Coblentz
Production design: Bryan Jones
Costume design: Ileane Meltzer
Makeup / hair: Robert Kurtzman
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $6,000,000
Box office: $31,400,000
Return: 523% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The People Under the Stairs (1991)

Also by

Wes Craven

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

tmdb280390232022-08-27
★ 6/10
The plot follows a boy and two adult thieves who, after breaking in to steal a collection of rare coins, become trapped in a house belonging to a strange couple. These thieves are so inept they leave their van parked next to the house, in full view of a couple of policemen who are even more inept; “This truck was used to rob a liquor store last night,” they inform the homeowners, whereupon they just drive off, leaving the getaway vehicle right where it is (but then cops are always incompetent in a Wes Craven film; cf. The Last House on the Left). The inside of the house, which appears to have been designed by serial killer H.H. Holmes, is full of booby traps, including a door whose knob has been rigged to deliver electric shocks – in one hilarious scene, young Fool (Brandon Quintin Adams) grabs the doorknob with one hand while holding Leroy's (Ving Rhames) hand with the other; Leroy’s other hand is currently between a Rottweiler’s fangs, and the electrical charge travels through the two intruders and knocks out the dog. The People Under the Stairs is like a Scooby Doo episode with a lot more blood in it; it’s indeed so ludicrous that the stolen coins are meant to pay for “mom's operation.” Having said that, there’s no question it was Craven’s intention all along to make a comedy. Moreover, it's impossible not to have a soft spot for a movie that includes a kid punching a Rottweiler in the face, an homage to The Shining, and the aforementioned dog going on an unexpected ride down a homemade slide, all in the space of just over three minutes.

Production companies