The Basement tells the twisted tale of a deranged murderer named Bill known as the Gemini Killer. When the Bill kidnaps a man named Craig, he plays several different personas and forces Craig to play the killer so Bill can role play his own capture and brutal interrogation for the crimes he has committed.
The script for The Basement is surprisingly strong and clever. The film is largely a series of scenes between the two actors (Jackson Davis and Cayleb Long) telling the story of the Gemini Killer in a completely original way. At the same time, each scene reveals more about Craig as he pretends to be the killer in the role that has been forced upon him. It's interesting to watch Craig's character desperately navigate his situation in order to survive as long as possible. It's during the process of this navigation that Cayleb Long's performance as Craig grows stronger causing the tension of the film to grow stronger with it.
Jackson Davis as Bill, the Gemini Killer, does an excellent job portraying the several characters that inhabit his many personalities. Davis impressively adopts different physical traits and accents for each character and is believable in each role. He has fun and goes all out for each character but never goes over the top, which I'm sure would be an unintentional temptation for many actors. It helps that Davis has just a hint of madness in his eyes that makes each character unpredictable and that much more frightening.
Cayleb Long does a fine job as the kidnapped Craig and it's hard to watch some of the brutal torture he endures. He earns the sympathy necessary as the straight character trying to survive a harrowing situation. Both actors enhance the others performance with their strong on screen chemistry and ability to successfully play off the other through eye contact and active listening.
Although I loved where her character ended up, Mischa Barton as Kelly, Craig's wife, feels wasted throughout the film. Her character spends the film rightfully wondering where her husband is and being suspicious of her best friend that he and her are having an affair. She has little else to do with any semblance of characterization coming too late in the film. She is ultimately a necessary character, but it's a shame to see an actress with Barton's talent wasted on such a largely thin character.
The Basement is a smart thriller with a tight script. It's smoothly paced and it kept me guessing the entire run time wondering how it was going to end. But it was the performances of Long and Davis that elevated this film to heights that exceeded my expectations. The Basement is currently in limited theatrical release and on video on demand and I highly recommend it.
Cayleb Long does a fine job as the kidnapped Craig and it's hard to watch some of the brutal torture he endures. He earns the sympathy necessary as the straight character trying to survive a harrowing situation. Both actors enhance the others performance with their strong on screen chemistry and ability to successfully play off the other through eye contact and active listening.
Although I loved where her character ended up, Mischa Barton as Kelly, Craig's wife, feels wasted throughout the film. Her character spends the film rightfully wondering where her husband is and being suspicious of her best friend that he and her are having an affair. She has little else to do with any semblance of characterization coming too late in the film. She is ultimately a necessary character, but it's a shame to see an actress with Barton's talent wasted on such a largely thin character.
The Basement is a smart thriller with a tight script. It's smoothly paced and it kept me guessing the entire run time wondering how it was going to end. But it was the performances of Long and Davis that elevated this film to heights that exceeded my expectations. The Basement is currently in limited theatrical release and on video on demand and I highly recommend it.
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