The Entity

This horror/haunted house/poltergeist movie is based on a true story of a woman who was harassed by inexplicable forces. Carla Moran (Barbara Hershey) is a caring mother who lives with her children, when she is repeatedly and brutally raped by an unseen entity, and besieged by other inconceivable events that petrify her. Carla is increasingly isolated (even ridiculed) for her experiences, which rack her emotionally and physically. When she seeks professional help, a team of psychiatrists study Carla’s situation seeking to unravel the source of her terror. Some sceptics in the team believe it to be female hysteria even insanity, but one kindly doctor, Phil Schneidermann (Ron Silver) is convinced of her sincerity and is determined to aid her plight with science and a parapsychological approach. At times genuinely terrifying, this film is somewhat dated, particularly in the special effects department, but interestingly was released just a year before Spielberg’s hugely successful “Poltergeist”, with which it shares many major themes. Hershey puts in a fine performance as an imperilled woman whose ordinary (if bleak) life is put under siege by forces beyond her comprehension. Although the film takes a somewhat dissatisfying turn mid-way through, it remains an interesting example of a science versus spirit movie and should prove a boon to horror buffs.