Cast: Corey Hawkins, Willem Dafoe, Anna Diop

Written And Directed By: Nadia Latif based on the novel by Walter Mosley

Studio/Streamer: 20th Century Fox/ Hulu

Release Year: 2025

Audio description Produced By: Pointe 360

Written By: Court Soto

Narrated By: Tansy Alexander

What is it?: A man (Hawkins) faced with the possibility of losing his ancestral home finds himself entertaining the wild idea of letting a white guy (Dafoe) he doesn’t know rent out his basement. But the reason why is far stranger.

What Works: A perfect casting for Willem Dafoe who revels in strange performances. i can see why he gravitated toward playing such a bizarre and complex character. Corey Hawkins wasn’t the first choice, as the role was originally for Jonathan Majors until… well… Google him. Then they replaced Majors with Hawkins, who is still remarkably good. Even Anna diop, who had a challenging breakthrough a couple of years ago playing a nanny, is well cast here. The cast isn’t a problem.

And the direction is audacious. This is a first time feature, which made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year. The problem is that, without having read the book, it feels like a very difficult book to adapt. A lot of the themes and ideas that need chapters to percolate in a novel are brushed over in a regular runtime feature.

There are major issues here regarding race, generational wealth, inherited trauma, good versus evil, and even a little dash of paranoia. what is even real anymore? These two men challenge each other in deeply disturbing and uncomfortable ways, but it always feels like an idea that was explored deeper in the book. It leaves things feeling random and unanswered at times, like finding a dead coyote in the basement, or even all the history of the masks and their relevance to the story between Hawkins and Dafoe.

But, I really did like the performances. I’m not sure they will be on my year end list, but I did enjoy them, coupled with the fact that this is a conversation starter to be sure. It is a film you’ll want to discuss, and perhaps even watch again. it is a film that demands to be dissected, even if you aren’t crazy about it. So, when i say it is audacious, I mean it. It is a big swing for a debut feature, and I hope it pays off for Latif in the end.

The Audio Description: Two sides to this coin. The audio description as is is well written and recorded. Alexander is always a solid narrator, and her performance here is more of what we’ve come to expect. Court Soto’s writing seems to capture the horrifying elements of the film, and matches the darker tones in the subject matter. but, for a film that leans so heavily into a racial divide, I do have to wonder if more responsible casting wasn’t in store. Perhaps this would have been one of the projects to pay a bit more attention to. Most audiences aren’t going to think twice, but those that know the industry a bit better might appreciate responsible casting.

Why You Might Like this: It certainly isn’t dull. It has a lot of ideas, and two strong actors try to convey a lot of ideas in a short period of time.dafoe is excellent, and Hawkins proves he should have been first choice all along.

Why You Might Not Like it: I have a feeling this is one of those “the book is better” films. It feels like we can’t really fully excavate all there is to dig out of this story.

Final thoughts: Willem Dafoe is once again perfectly cast as an eccentric wildcard, and Corey Hawkins delivers one of his strongest performances. While this film is likely not as comprehensive as the book it came from, it is still a thematic wrecking ball and conversation starter.

Final grade: Fresh: 6.1/10