Basement, The. Mannequins are Picking a Boo Within
Basement, The. Film Details 
Director:
Co-director:
Writer:
László Illés (story)
Release Date: September 5, 2017
Release Format: DVD, VOD
MPAA Rating: N/A
Genre: Horror
Running Time: 82 Min
Synopsis:
A group of international students explores a basement that has been abandoned for years. But what starts off as an exploratory séance ends in bloody mayhem when a malicious entity is summoned.
IMDBb.com
Overview:
It has been a while since I’ve watched a non-English spoken European horror film. I was really excited by this and even though it sounded cliché, the synopsis got me interested.
The Basement is written by László Illés and Gera Laszlo Krisztian and directed by László Illés and Vozo Zoltán Végh. It’s definitely a fun ride and has a great setting but in the long run it doesn’t reveal anything we haven’t already seen before…
Cast
Caroline Boulton as Suzie
Takács Zalán as Kolos
Richard Rifkin as Kranicz
Tom Nguyen as Woo-Jin
Sherin Bors as Ayame
Varga Csenge Boglárka as Lucy
Gergo Szekér as Tommy
Laci Gondor as Lucas
Marina Gera as Doll-face
Pros:
I must applaud the atmosphere, the tone of the film, the setting, and the score. The Basement exceeded my expectations. One thing I admired in Franck Khalfoun’s Maniac was the use of mannequins and in one moment I thought I was having a heart attack playing Resident Evil 7 was in the beginning where mannequins are lying around in the attic… I must have a problem with mannequins but I think they are amazing elements in horror. Ah! Remember Silent Hill?
The directors of The Basement opted for them and they should be proud because the mannequins are the only true horror essence of this film.
In The Basement, the killer is barbaric and scary as hell. The scenes where it appears are well executed and the suspense here is top-notch. There are some amazing practical effects as well in here especially during the death scenes and the moments when Doll-face appears. Marina Gera delivers one amazing performance and I would love to see more of Doll-face with future installments.
Related Article: Illés, Végh Launch Crowdfunding Campaign
Cons:
As I watched the film, I was thinking why is there a character carrying a video camera. It didn’t bother me watching a found footage, but this was never explained. Maybe the director wanted this style but normally something becomes hinted at the beginning of the film and yet I was hoping for something, I never found an explanation, that bummed me. I believe the director wanted to spice things up with how the camera worked and he wanted to try new shots with the POV but you felt disoriented in some scenes…
The characters sometimes talk to the camera instead of talking to the cameraman’s eyes. That was frustrating because even the quality of the video is the same for the POV and the actual shot of the film. I would have preferred if the director decided which of those styles he should use before opting for both of them. I would have filmed everything in the first person. After watching The Basement the only moments I felt scared was filmed with the POV camera.
The performances of the leaders and the dialogues are mediocre. I think the actors worked with what they could but the actions they take and how they talk to each other felt abnormal. The atmosphere and cinematography are on point and there’s sterling work in here but you felt bored by the character’s actions and let down by some of the performances.
In Conclusion:
The cheesy dialogue may ruin this movie for some but overall it’s a fair good found footage flick with a few scares and an impressive atmosphere. If you like a ghost horror with a peek of slasher and suspense, you should check it out, it won’t ruin your time.
