The Hidden

"It's only human on the outside..."

1987 1h 37m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

🍅

76%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★6.9TMDB · 522🍅76%Rotten Tomatoes●69Metacritic★7IMDB · 25,315

ActionScience FictionHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When average, law-abiding citizens suddenly turn to a life of hedonistic behavior and violent crime, Detective Tom Beck is tasked with helping young FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher determine the cause.

“It's only human on the outside...”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Kyle MacLachlan
Lloyd Gallagher
Michael Nouri
Tom Beck
Ed O'Ross
Cliff Willis
Claudia Christian
Brenda Lee Van Buren
William Boyett
Jonathan Miller
Chris Mulkey
Jack DeVries
Clarence Felder
Lt. John Masterson
Clu Gulager
Lt. Ed Flynn

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jack Sholder
Writers: Jim Kouf
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Hidden Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Jack Sholder, shot by Jacques Haitkin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Convertino. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Maureen O'Connell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Nouri and Ed O'Ross carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It's only human on the outside...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0093185 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jack Sholder directs. Jacques Haitkin behind the camera. Michael Convertino scores. Maureen O'Connell cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

139 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Hidden Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Jack Sholder, shot by Jacques Haitkin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Michael Convertino. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Maureen O'Connell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Nouri and Ed O'Ross carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "It's only human on the outside...".
8IMDB entry: tt0093185 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 9 themes, including "mind control", "robbery", "fbi", "surrealism".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Jacques Haitkin
Original score: Michael Convertino
Editing: Maureen O'Connell
Production design: C.J. Strawn
Costume design: Malissa Daniel
Makeup / hair: Kevin Yagher
Stunt coordinator: Don Pike
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $5,000,000
Box office: $9,747,988
Return: 195% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Hidden (1987)
Rotten Tomatoes: 76% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 69/100
IMDB rating: 7/10 · 25,315 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

4 wins & 6 nominations total

Part of

Hidden Collection

Criminal alien comes to earth

Also by

Jack Sholder

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2020-11-26
★ 7/10
Ferraris, 80’s rock/metal, Los Angeles and an out-of-control… thing An FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan) from Seattle teams-up with an LAPD detective (Michael Nouri) to apprehend an unstoppable menace in Los Angeles that seems to switch bodies(?). “The Hidden” (1987) is a kinetic sci-fi action/thriller in the mold of “The Terminator” (1984), but not quite as exceptional. It’s captivating with a kinetic 80’s metal/rock/punk soundtrack featuring bands like Shok Paris, Concrete Blonde and The Truth. But, for me, the flick’s hampered by the one dimensional vibe of the gritty concrete jungle. Voluptuous Claudia Christian stands out on the female front as an exotic dancer who gets caught up in the chase. The movie runs 1 hour, 37 minutes, and was shot Los Angeles. GRADE: B+

Production companies