“He sees something he wants, he steals it.
If something gets in his way, he kills it.
And right now, he’s hiding out in your city.”
The 80s was something of a low point for film culture, but a high point for cult films. The Terminator elevated exploitation trash into high art and became a classic. The Hidden appears to be cut from the same sci-fi cloth, a 2nd cousin that’s more stripped down and straight ahead. It’s not as clever, but the script by Jim Kouf (National Treasure) is equally smart in places. Plus, there’s a great performance by Kyle MacLachlan as an FBI Agent who is not what he appears to be.
Don’t worry about Spoilers. The film reveals the alien angle early on, as it jumps from a dying body into a slightly healthier one. The fun is in the alien’s unapologetic, hedonistic pursuits. It likes loud rock and fast cars, and it’s very hard to kill, which obviously leads to a number of chases and shoot-outs, choreographed with B-movie skill by Jack Sholder. Meanwhile, the cops are slow to catch on, led by Michael Nouri who has some nice buddy chemistry with MacLachlan.
It’s too bad The Hidden has faded away over the years. It’s still every bit as entertaining as I remembered. Bonus: look fast for small roles by Danny Trejo, Jack McGee and Lin Shaye.
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