The Man in the Basement

Simon and Hélène Sandberg (Bérénice Bejo, The Artist) and their teenage daughter appear to be living the idyllic and comfortable Parisian life. When the couple decides to put up their unused basement storage cellar for sale, they have no idea what is in store for them and how their lives will forever change. Enter Mr. Fonzic, a seemingly unremarkable and well-mannered former history teacher, who shows up to buy the cellar ostensibly for his storage items. Unfortunately, the deal is quickly sealed before his references are checked. Upon learning that the man was fired from his high school job for teaching that the Holocaust was a hoax, the couple tries desperately to cancel the sale but to no avail. To make matters infinitely worse, Mr. Fonzic ends up living in the cellar and makes it his permanent residence. Slowly and methodically, the stranger’s antisemitic world view emerges and ensnares Simon’s very existence, driving him to more and more desperate strategies to evict the man. Impeccable acting and a nightmare scenario drive this tense and gripping thriller (based on a true story) to its logical and frightening conclusion.