The cult classic sci-fi thriller The Hidden was released by New Line Cinema the day before Halloween in 1987. The film was directed by Jack Sholder, who also helmed Alone in the Dark (1982), By Dawn’s Early Light (1990), and A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985).

The Hidden centers on a cop (Michael Nouri) and an alien pretending to be an FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan), who are both seeking the same evil force that’s causing law abiding citizens to suddenly become violent criminals.

While The Hidden was only a modest hit for distributor New Line Cinema, it has since gained cult status through a variety of physical media releases, including VHS and DVD. Many film critics feel the movie of highly underrated and it was nominated for numerous prestigious festival awards during the time of its release. Director Jack Sholder won the Grand Prize at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival and at Fantasporto in 1988. Lead actor Michael Nouri won Best Actor at the Catalan International Film Festival in 1987, where Sholder also won the International Critics’ Jury. At the 1988 Saturn Awards, Nouri was also nominated for Best Actor and Sholder was nominated for Best Director, Jim Kouf was nominated for best writing, and the film itself was nominated for Best Science Fiction Film.