Trapped inside a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple, a young boy quickly learns the true nature of the homicidal inhabitants, and secret creatures hidden deep within the walls.
The plot follows a boy and two adult thieves who, after breaking in to steal a collection of rare coins, become trapped in a house belonging to a strange couple. These thieves are so inept they leave their van parked next to the house, in full view of a couple of policemen who are even more inept; “This truck was used to rob a liquor store last night,” they inform the homeowners, whereupon they just drive off, leaving the getaway vehicle right where it is (but then cops are always incompetent in a Wes Craven film; cf. The Last House on the Left).
The inside of the house, which appears to have been designed by serial killer H.H. Holmes, is full of booby traps, including a door whose knob has been rigged to deliver electric shocks – in one hilarious scene, young Fool (Brandon Quintin Adams) grabs the doorknob with one hand while holding Leroy's (Ving Rhames) hand with the other; Leroy’s other hand is currently between a Rottweiler’s fangs, and the electrical charge travels through the two intruders and knocks out the dog.
The People Under the Stairs is like a Scooby Doo episode with a lot more blood in it; it’s indeed so ludicrous that the stolen coins are meant to pay for “mom's operation.” Having said that, there’s no question it was Craven’s intention all along to make a comedy. Moreover, it's impossible not to have a soft spot for a movie that includes a kid punching a Rottweiler in the face, an homage to The Shining, and the aforementioned dog going on an unexpected ride down a homemade slide, all in the space of just over three minutes.