‘The Man in My Basement’ Review: Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe Star in a Walter Mosley Adaptation That Compels but Doesn’t Convince

Heavy hang the themes permeating Nadia Latif’s adaptation of Walter Mosley’s 2004 novel. Unlike the crime fiction that has proven so popular for the author, The Man in the Basement, while possessing some thriller-ish aspects, is more a book of ideas. Too many ideas, probably, since the fairly simple storylines touch on such themes as power dynamics, race relations, colonialism, guilt, redemption and more.

The film, co-written by Mosley and Latif, the latter making her feature directorial debut, faces the nearly impossible task of making all these ideas coherent — and only partially succeeds. But thanks to its powerful atmospherics and superb performances by its two leads Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe, the film should appeal to viewers looking for more intellectual fare upon its limited theatrical release before streaming later this year on Hulu.

Set in the ‘90s in a Black neighborhood of the tony seaside village of Sag Harbor,…