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The Entity

Play trailer 1:25 Poster for The Entity R 1982 2h 5m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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62% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Single mother Carla Moran (Barbara Hershey) is raped and attacked by an invisible force. She begins therapy with Dr. Phil Sneiderman (Ron Silver), a psychiatrist who believes Carla's traumatic past is motivating her to commit self-induced injuries, rather than anything supernatural. When the attacks continue, Carla invites two college students with an interest in the paranormal to visit her house. After seeing the ghost in action, they agree to help Carla defeat her invisible attacker.

Critics Reviews

View All (13) Critics Reviews
Gavin Bainbridge Empire Magazine Thankfully this film doesn't look for too many answers, and leaves us undecided as it closes as to how bad of a film it really is. The answer: not that bad. Rated: 3/5 Oct 5, 2018 Full Review Anton Bitel Little White Lies Invading a similar domestic space to The Exorcist and Poltergeist, The Entity is a bittersweet modern ghost story that dramatises the awful compromises and sacrifices that women make every day just to get by in a man's world. May 15, 2017 Full Review Richard F. Shepard New York Times ''The Entity'' offers thrills in short staccato bursts and dull science in long bursts. Aug 30, 2004 Full Review Richard Holliss Starburst The whole film is a bitter disappointment. Jul 29, 2022 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com The Entity is worth a look for genre fans because of the high-seriousness and the mistrust of the male scientific figures involved Rated: 3/5 Mar 21, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy It's such a daft story that there's no saving those who fell for it. Rated: 1.5/4 Jun 15, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alec B It's a terrifying idea and one that is sold by Hershey's totally convincing performance. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Johnathon W Powerful horror film thanks to some fantastic acting and steady direction that doesn't cheat towards the end. The cast is superb, with Barbara Hershey giving a powerful lead performance as Carla, a single mom just trying to make ends meet when she is attacked by an otherworldly being. She is matched nicely by Ron Silver as her psychologists, who believes she is having a mental breakdown. What's nice about his performance as that he doesn't come off as villainous but genuinely cares about Carla, believing the parapsychologists are exploiting her. Behind the camera, director Sidney J. Furie crafts a realistic horror movie in the vein of "The Exorcist", where the characters first seek a medical explanation until the evidence becomes overwhelming it's something more. While the ending is a bit cheesy, it still works for the most part, especially in not fully resolving the story. All in all, one of the best horror films of the 80's. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/24 Full Review Justin T This is brilliant. This sets up the formula for many many paranormal clones that come - and most of the garbage from Blumhouse. But this is so much better than the films that came after. It is edgy, it is scary, it is raw. It still holds up today. My only gripe is that the thunderous drums that come when the beast is attacking are noticeable and original but sometimes a bit mistimed and overpowering. And that is my only complaint. The fear from this film comes from the sublime use of simple scares. The use of sound and images are well combined to produce quite a claustrophobic tension that runs throughout. There are one or two moments of terror and enough places to make you jump. The characters are so interesting and really well acted. The story is simple but effective. The climax is actually a bit of a twist on the formula and I can't think of any other films that try to do the same thing. This is a must watch for paranormal horror fans but be warned it can be harrowing. The length is also justified which is something I rarely say for films this long. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/28/23 Full Review Glossy F One of the best supernatural film made in the 80's . This terrified me and it still does today. This awful story is incredibly dark and sinister. Barbara Hershey is brilliant as the single mother who is being assaulted by this thing. I'll never forget that thudding music when activity escalates. Excellent film even though it is quite old now. Don't watch it alone!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/21/23 Full Review Sarfaraz A The film's ending titles reveal that it is based on a true story told by Carla Moran in October 1976 in Los Angeles, California. It is a film about a single woman who lives with her grown son and two young daughters and experiences paranormal terror. She gets therapy from a psychiatrist, played by Ron Silver, who is concerned about her situation. It's an enjoyable film to see, but there aren't as many jump scares. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/26/23 Full Review Vera A I watched this when it first came out and again the past couple of months. Very compelling on what this single mother is dealing with by this Entity abusing as well as raping her, which makes it more scarier the unknown! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Entity

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Single mother Carla Moran (Barbara Hershey) is raped and attacked by an invisible force. She begins therapy with Dr. Phil Sneiderman (Ron Silver), a psychiatrist who believes Carla's traumatic past is motivating her to commit self-induced injuries, rather than anything supernatural. When the attacks continue, Carla invites two college students with an interest in the paranormal to visit her house. After seeing the ghost in action, they agree to help Carla defeat her invisible attacker.
Director
Sidney J. Furie
Producer
Harold Schneider
Screenwriter
Frank De Felitta
Production Co
American Cinema Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 31, 2020
Runtime
2h 5m
Sound Mix
Surround