Corey Hawkins, Anna Diop, and Director Nadia Latif Talk The Man in My Basement – INTERVIEW

Nadia Latif, Corey Hawkins, and Anna Diop reflect on The Man in My Basement.

The unsettling psychological thriller “The Man in My Basement” recently made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, reuniting “24: Legacy” cast members Corey Hawkins and Anna Diop under the direction of first-time feature filmmaker Nadia Latif. The film explores themes of race, trauma, and moral compromise through the story of Charles Blakey (Hawkins), a man on the brink of losing his family home who makes a desperate deal with a mysterious businessman, played by Willem Dafoe.

From Stage to Screen

For Latif, who comes from a theater background, the transition to directing her debut feature meant adopting an actor-first approach on set. “The great thing about being a theater director is actually I understand an actor’s process,” she explained. “Theater prepares you more for performance that somebody has to maintain for weeks or months. With film, it’s wonderful because you’ve just got to capture the lightning”.

She emphasized keeping her approach simple. “It’s actors and it’s text, and it’s about how you construct an image that tells the story,” Latif said. “The words and the acting just have to do the lifting for us”.

Discovering Humanity in Complex Characters

For Hawkins, the challenge was finding the humanity in Charles, a man defined as much by his failures as his potential. “He’s a character that’s sort of easy to dismiss,” Hawkins said. “But it became easier because I started noticing Charles in myself, in my family, and my friends. For me, it was about bringing this man’s humanity to life and honoring that, as hard as sometimes that could be given his choices and decisions”.

Diop, who plays Narcissus, also spoke about the nuance of her role. “She really loves what she does, but it is a futile career. She’s not getting millions of dollars to do this work, but she feels it so deeply necessary,” Diop shared. “Balancing that with finding this kind of gold mine in Charles’s home, plus the personal complications she faces—it was a delicate line to walk. But Corey makes that easy. We’ve played husband and wife before, so there was already trust there”.

Bringing Willem Dafoe Into the Basement

When it came to casting Willem Dafoe as Anniston Bennet, Latif revealed she had envisioned him from the very beginning. “I literally wrote it for Willem,” she admitted. “He’s so transformative and so physical, but his stillness is so interesting.”

To her surprise, Dafoe was quick to join. “I thought I was going to have to seduce him into it, but he came in like, ‘So we’re making the film, let’s talk about the character,’” Latif recalled. “He’s so just about the work. If you send him a book or film, he’ll get back to you right away. That kind of diligence makes him great”.

A Thriller Rooted in Ghosts and Truths

The Man in My Basement is set in the African American neighborhood of Sag Harbor, New York, where Charles accepts a lucrative but ominous offer to rent out his basement. The arrangement spirals into a terrifying confrontation with history, trauma, and morality.

With Hawkins, Diop, and Dafoe at its center, and Latif guiding the story with precision, the film emerges as an intimate yet haunting exploration of the weight of legacy.

“I respect Willem dearly and love him hugely after the experience we’ve had,” Latif said. “But really, it was Corey and Anna who took a chance on me as a debut filmmaker. They’re brilliant, and together we kept the story grounded in truth”.

The Man in My Basement is now playing in select theaters and will be available soon on Hulu.

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