Chris Mulkey, Clarence Felder, Claudia Christian

Diligent Los Angeles detective Tom Beck (Michael Nouri) tracks down and arrests a stockbroker who has inexplicably turned into a serial killer in this tongue-in-cheek, sci-fi thriller. Assuming the ca...( read more  read more... )se is closed, Beck is surprised when mysterious FBI Agent Lloyd Gallagher (Kyle MacLachlan) arrives and wants to continue the investigation. But it appears that the perpetrator isn't quite what he seems to be ... nor is Gallagher!

Flixster Users

68% liked it

4,306 ratings

R, 98 min.

Directed by: Jack Sholder

Release Date: October 30, 1987

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: May 21, 1997

Stats: 217 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (217)


  • October 30, 2009
    Think you've seen every possible incarnation of the cop/buddy flick? Well, if you missed this gem from 1987, think again. Kyle MacLachlan plays FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher, who is on the trail of an alien being that killed his partner 9 years ago. This particular species of ET is n...( read more)ot the cute, cuddly type that has a fondness for Reese's Pieces. Not even close. This slimy critter has the following M.O.: it likes to inhabit human bodies, and it has a penchant for listening to loud rock music, driving fast cars (preferably Ferraris), robbing banks, and obliterating anything or anyone that gets in its way. The opening sequence is a real grabber that involves a bank robbery (seen through a security camera), followed by a high-speed chase through the streets (and sidewalks) of Los Angeles, as the perpetrator tries to outrun a mess of squad cars, leaving a trail of bodies and wrecked vehicles in his wake. Even the guy in the wheelchair is not spared! Not coincidentally, Gallagher has tracked the alien to L.A., where he enlists the aid of Homicide Detective Tom Beck (Michael Nouri), who is not thrilled by Gallagher's idea of inter-agency co-operation. He becomes even less thrilled when law-abiding citizens start going ballistic and the bodies start piling up in his city. When Gallagher eventually lays it all out for him, Beck's response is to throw him in a cell until he can come up with a better story. It is pretty far-fetched, but Beck soon discovers the truth for himself, and they team up to try and catch the alien before it can switch bodies once the current one becomes unuseable (i.e. riddled with bullet holes). Apparently, the only time it can be killed is when it is between bodies and out in the open. There are some pretty amusing scenes where the alien is getting used to its latest new body. Check out the one where it has just taken over the body of a gorgeous and nicely endowed stripper. After it finishes fondling its new breasts, it proceeds to give some unknowing slimeball the best (and last) screwing of his miserable life. Talk about using sex as a weapon! Anyway, all I can say is any movie that pays homage to Blade Runner (the gorgeous babe being hunted down), Assault on Precinct 13 (the shootout at the police station), The Dead Zone (the political assassinaton), and especially The Thing (the alien as a dog) is pretty cool in my book. Maybe it gets a little hokey towards the end, but the road that gets you there is filled with sci-fi/action FUN. Take the ride!
  • March 25, 2008
    Hidden is a rare 80's beast.
    Alien body swaping film with action and gore with a great 80's rock music. Has dated since 1987 but that what must it a little more special.Worth checking out if you havn't seen it.
  • March 9, 2007
    A forgotten B-movie gem full of faces that will be familiar to fans of the TV series Twin Peaks. An alien criminal who can inhabit the bodies of his victims comes to earth pursued by alien cop Kyle McClachlan. He grudgingly teams up with a local cop to hunt down the seemingly ind...( read more)estructable foe who can move from body to body when he becomes too damaged. The opening scene of a gleeful villain robbing a bank and racing off in a stolen Ferrari (taking the time to send a wheelchair bound old man flying through the air in the process) sums up the film as a whole. Fast-paced, funny, daft and massive fun.
  • August 2, 2009
    Cool 80's sci-fi/action flick about a mysterious FBI Agent (Kyle MacLachlan) arriving in LA to track down a serial killer with the help of veteran LA detective Tom Beck (Michael Nouri). But it seems the killer is not who he seems and once the fed lets Beck in on the secret..that ...( read more)they are actually hunting an alien who is jumping from body to body, the fun really begins. For an 80's flick, The Hidden holds up remarkably well. MacLachlan and Nouri make an effective odd couple duo and the action scenes are extremely exciting. A bonus is Claudia Christian as a stripper who is one of the bodies the alien uses for a little bit. She is a sight to behold, looking gorgeous but also deadly as she packs an automatic machine gun with grenade launcher. Car chases, shoot outs, and a little humor make The Hidden a winner.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Doctor: Detective Beck. No one deserves to die like that. I don't care what the man's done.
    Cliff Willis: He killed twelve people, wounded twenty three more, stole six cars, most of them Ferraris. Robbed eight banks, six supermarkets, four jewelery stores and a candy shop. Six of the ones he killed he carved up with a butcher knife. Two of them were kids. He did all that in two weeks. If anyone deserves to go that way, it sure in the hell was him.
  • October 20, 2008
    A precursor to "Men In Black"...unfortunately, no Tommy Lee Jones or Will Smith here...some decent action, shoot-outs and car chasing for this B-grade effort. Acting is rather wooden and this story won't win any awards, but it is mildly entertaining for what is is..
  • November 22, 2009
    How fucking awesome is the beginning of this movie? A fucking maniac goes on a brutal crime spree (robbing, killing, etc) until he's gunned down by the police. The concept is great: instead of aliens coming down to conquer us or whatever other cliche, this guy just wants to steal...( read more) great cars kill people and do every nefarious act possible until the body he's riding in gets destroyed. Then off to the next body and more fun times. I think it slows down once we get the gist of the plot but no real complaints here, a solid pretty much forgotten film of the eighties that entertains at nearly every moment.
  • July 6, 2009
    Dodgy 80's sci-fi B-movie, but you do get to see Ivanova from B5 wearing not much so its not all bad. Ending is a pile of arse. Nothing brilliant, but there's worse from the same era
  • May 21, 2009
    One of the best 80s Sci-fi films!
  • May 16, 2009
    Alien hunting was never faster or funnier.
  • February 3, 2009
    Great soundtrack classic 80s tunes

Critic Reviews


No recent reviews.

Comments


This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "The Hidden" !

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Aks
    Aks (50%)
  • Body Snatchers
    Body Snatchers (100%)
  • The First Power
    The First Power (75%)
  • Scanners
    Scanners (80%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Hidden : Watch Free on TV


The Hidden Trivia


  • In the movie "The Hidden", how does the alien take control of a host body?  Answer »
  • What is the film.. from this movie tagline? "They call themselves "The ......." The secret caves. The old lighthouse. The lost map. The treacherous traps. The hidden treasure. And Sloth... Join the adventure.  Answer »
  • This Akira Kurosawa film is said to have been the main inspiration for the first "Star Wars" (Episode 4):  Answer »
  • A young boy who's grandad went missing has to find the hidden ruby's to save their house. Voices of Madonna, David Bowie and Ice T. Name the animated film.  Answer »

Movie Quizzes


No quizzes for The Hidden. Want to create one?

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?