The Entity
The Entity Review: Story, Cast, Rating & Final Verdict
Last updated: April 13, 2026
Movie Overview: The Entity
| Movie | The Entity |
| Release Year | 1982 |
| Director | Sidney J. Furie |
| Genre | Horror / Mystery / Thriller |
| Runtime | 125 minutes |
| Language | EN |
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is The Entity (1982) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a HIT with a verified audience rating of 6.8/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Horror.
Cast & Character Study
The performances in The Entity are led by Barbara Hershey . The supporting cast, including Ron Silver and David Labiosa , provides the necessary layers to the central narrative.
movieMx Verdict: Is it Worth Your Time?
What Works in the Movie
The Entity stands out as a strong entry in the Horror genre. The film benefits from engaging storytelling, memorable performances, and solid production values that help keep viewers invested.
- Compelling performances from the main cast
- Strong visual storytelling and direction
- Well-structured Horror narrative
- Satisfying emotional or dramatic payoff
What Doesn't Work
Despite its strengths, The Entity has a few issues that may affect the overall viewing experience, particularly in terms of pacing and narrative consistency.
- Uneven pacing in certain parts of the film
- Some predictable plot developments
- May not appeal to audiences outside the Horror fanbase
Story & Plot Summary: The Entity
Quick Plot Summary: Released in 1982, The Entity is a Horror, Mystery, Thriller film directed by Sidney J. Furie. The narrative crafts an atmosphere of dread and suspense, using psychological terror and visual scares. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict involving Barbara Hershey.
Story Breakdown
The horror unfolds through carefully crafted atmosphere and escalating dread. A single mom is raped by an invisible force. Her psychiatrist believes the experience stems from childhood trauma, while she knows something supernatural is at play. Director Sidney J. Furie uses both psychological terror and visceral scares, building tension through what's unseen as much as what's shown. The pacing allows for breathing room between scares, making each frightening moment more effective.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: An unsettling prologue sets the ominous tone, hinting at the terror to come while establishing the rules of this world.
- Character Arc: The main character shows growth throughout the story, though some supporting characters could have been more fully realized. Barbara Hershey's arc is present but occasionally predictable.
- Climax & Resolution: The final act escalates the terror to its peak, forcing characters to confront the source of horror directly.
Ending Explained: The Entity
The Entity Ending Explained: Directed by Sidney J. Furie, The Entity wraps up the main storyline while leaving some interpretation to viewers. The ending highlights the core horror themes developed throughout the film.
The final twist encourages viewers to reconsider earlier moments in the story, particularly in scenes involving Barbara Hershey. The interpretation of the ending may vary among viewers.
Key Elements of the Ending
- Narrative Resolution: The story resolves its primary conflict while leaving room for interpretation.
- Character Development: Character motivations become clearer by the final scenes.
- Thematic Message: The ending reinforces the horror themes introduced earlier in the film.
The final moments of The Entity reflect the creative choices of the filmmakers and align with the tone of the narrative.
Who Should Watch The Entity?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Horror films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of Barbara Hershey or the director
- Want a few scares and creepy atmosphere
Box Office Collection: The Entity
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $9.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $13.3M |
| Trade Verdict | CLEAN HIT |
The Entity Budget
The estimated production budget for The Entity is $9.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: The Entity
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Where to Watch The Entity Online?
Streaming Hub📺 Stream on
Channel 4 PlusThe Entity Parents Guide & Age Rating
1982 AdvisoryWondering about The Entity age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of The Entity is 125 minutes (2h 5m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 6.8/10, and global performance metrics, The Entity is classified as a HIT. It remains an essential part of the 1982 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Entity worth watching?
The Entity is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Horror movies. It has a verified rating of 6.8/10 and stands as a HIT in our box office analysis.
Where can I find The Entity parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for The Entity identifies it as R. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of The Entity?
The total duration of The Entity is 125 minutes, which is approximately 2h 5m long.
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How The Entity Compares & Where it Ranks
Critic Reviews for The Entity
Very up and down in its telling of an horrendous story. This is the loosely based on facts story of Carla Moran, a woman who was allegedly tormented and sexually molested by an invisible demon. Regardless of if the facts of the case are fictionalised for impact, or if indeed there is any basis of truth to the attacks in question, The Entity as a film fails to rise above average due to sloppy direction and a very poor script, whilst the score from Charles Bernstein is akin to being hit over the head repeatedly with a blunt instrument. That said, the film isn't a total wash out, there are genuine moments of dread in the piece, and most of the tension and fear is realised from a very credible performance from Barbara Hershey as Carla. The nature of the beast with this type of picture will always be open to either scoffing or a fear of the unknown, so to get the audience involved with a topic like this you really need your protagonist to be believable, Hershey manages to do this in spite of the character being hopelessly under written. There is no real urgency or understanding of feelings portrayed other than a few rushed sequences, it's kind of like poor Carla saying she's been attacked by a demon and her doctor going, oh OK, lets talk about it. If you believe in the paranormal etc is irrelevant, that The Entity isn't a terrifying story is sadly just a missed opportunity to not only scare, but to induce thought provoking conversation. 4/10
Pretty bizarre but also unique supernatural movie featuring a great performance from Barbara Hershey. While the final act was a bit lame considering what happened before, still worth checking out if you haven't already. Probably will watch the documentaries on the real life aspects on Doris Bither.
This gets a lot of hype for being a scary film, and it's really not. It's more of a true life drama based on a haunting that.... probably never really happened. Or at least I'm skeptical about it. The main problem is that it tries to show a little too much. The first rape really didn't, and the close ups and jerky movement made it a little more chilling... and then they tried to to the Fx game and show a little more... and that's there the cheese came in. This is the kind of movie that does a lot better if the hide things in the shadows. However... it does build tension and suspense and is builds it pretty well. It leaves you with a paranoid nervous feeling as you are watching it and, that is really the reason why people like me watch movies like this... to illicate a visceral emotional response, and, in this case, rather than fear it's nervous paranoia... ... and that is just as good, it puts the film in the mission accomplished category, it did what it's supposed to do. But the cheese. I'm tempted to say that the technology wasn't there to make it look anything but cheesy, however... no... even today that doesn't work in movies. What works is showing less, inferring more, and allowing the viewers' own imagination to, well, to scare the heck out of them. Despite that, however, it's still a movie that builds suspense, it's still a movie that makes the viewer nervous, and that is the reason we watch these movies, and it does do that better than most.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.










