The film tells the story of the titular subtenant, a member of the intelligentsia class (played by Jan Machulski), who finds himself trapped in a villa with three women representing different generations (Barbara Ludwiżanka [pl], Katarzyna Łaniewska, Magdalena Zawadzka).
Ludwik, a scientist seeking peace and quiet to focus on his work, rents a room in a villa inhabited exclusively by women, each with her own peculiar obsession.
Her niece, Małgorzata, secretly plots to assassinate her aunt, while Kazimiera aspires to turn the residence into a gymnastic rehabilitation center for unemployed women.
More serious comments about the project were made by Jerzy Pomianowski [pl] (his request to shorten the length was ultimately not heeded by Majewski) and Wanda Jakubowska, who stated that she "felt somewhat presented as a fool who cannot decipher something but only suspects".
[6] In 2019, the restored Sublokator was released on DVD by the Wrocław-based publisher Filmostrada as part of the Klasyka Polskiego Kina Cyfrowa Rekonstrukcja series.
[8] Despite its intimate form, Sublokator was not overlooked abroad, as evidenced by American critic Roger Ebert's opinion that Majewski's film is one of the funniest comedies he has ever seen.
[9] In a retrospective article, Joanna Wojnicka [pl] wrote about Sublokator, stating that Majewski "demonstrated his own directorial proficiency and a free juggling of conventions".
[10] Jerzy Płażewski [pl] claimed that Majewski "attacked 'timeless femininity' in a specially created, surreal environment, while maintaining a disturbing resemblance to reality".