Before three decades of family secrets are revealed, the atmosphere turns as cold and quiet as Mike Lobel’s real life in his latest documentary, Don't Come Upstairs. It is a promise of that silence, his scary journey through time into the lives of the closest and the dearest. 

Lobel offers his life as a prism through which viewers can face and think about family, identity, and the shadows the human psyche bears. To know Mike Lobel's history is to delve into an extended version of his personal documentary. 

While Don't Come Upstairs raises uncomfortable topics, the question of who Mike Lobel is often beats the rest.

Mike Lobel, whose full name is Michael Ryan Lobel, was born on March 7, 1984, to Polish and Ashkenazi Jewish parents in Toronto, Canada, as one of three kids. He began his career as an actor, debuting in Jacob Tierney's Oliver Twist adaptation, Twist. While Lobel remains active in showbiz, his recent works lean more toward filmmaking and editing instead of acting

Among several other acting credits, Lobel is most recognized for his role as Jay Hogart, a manipulative high school bully on the teenage drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2003 to 2010. He has also starred in the sitcom Really Me and movies, such as Selling Innocence, Booky Makes Her Mark, Brave New Girl, Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story, and more.

In 2009, Lobel starred in Suck alongside rock & roll icons Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins, and Iggy Pop. Most recently, he earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination for his creative involvement in HBO Max's children's web series, Detention Adventure, where he also appeared as Caretaker Jay.

Besides acting and filmmaking, Lobel has also dabbled in music, co-founding the indie pop band Future Peers in 2014. As of 2025, he has been shaping stories behind the lens, with his future acting roles yet to be announced. And with Don't Come Upstairs, he draws upon memory, archives, and bravery.   

7 True Crime Documentaries to Watch After ‘Monster: Ed Gein’ – Must-See Chilling Stories

This documentary is a complete reversal from fiction, which several inaccurate biopics fail to achieve. It is an extremely personal narrative woven with the threads of Lobel's haunting family secrets.

Don't Come Upstairs is a documentary film that chronicles Mike Lobel's investigation into a family thriller. It first arrived on Canada’s TV network CBC on October 1, 2025. While major global streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and more do not host the film, it is available on CBC’s digital platform Gem. 

For over thirty years, Lobel and his parents adhered to an unspoken rule in their household, i.e, to never ask the father about his occupation. At the risk to his safety and his siblings, the filmmaker took on the task himself to unravel his household mysteries.

Don’t Come Upstairs sees Mike Lobel piece together home videos, childhood memories, puzzles, and nightmares to uncover the darkness hidden behind the walls of his own home. While Lobel's next starring role is not known, documentary aficionados will be beyond satiated tuning into the chilling Don’t Come Upstairs this winter.

‘Don’t Come Upstairs’ Documentary: Is It on Netflix? Theater Release Plans, Plot, and All About the True-Life Thriller

Have you watched Don’t Come Upstairs yet? Let us know in the comments.