Intruder

During a graveyard shift at a suburban supermarket, a crew of young workers goes about stocking shelves after hours. A masked intruder begins stalking the aisles, turning routine tasks into a nerve jangling game of cat and mouse. The building becomes a trap as lights flicker, radios crackle, and the threat seems to know not just their footsteps but their personal information. The staff become a target as they scramble for exits, radios, and makeshift weapons. The fear is palpable, and trust breaks down under pressure. What starts as a routine overnight shift spirals into a deadly test of wits and endurance, with danger lurking in every checkout lane.

Directed by Scott Spiegel and Lawrence Bender, Intruder released in 1989 as a lean low budget horror project. Starring Elizabeth Cox and Renée Estevez with Sam Raimi in a cameo, it relies on practical effects, a single setting, and clear storytelling rather than big budget spectacle. The production used on location sets and a tight shooting schedule to compensate for the budget.

Box office data for Intruder is not widely published. The film had a modest theatrical presence and built its audience mainly through home video and word of mouth among horror fans in later years.

Intruder has earned a small cult following among horror fans. Its stripped down premise, practical gore, and Sam Raimi's cameo link it to the late 80s indie horror wave and a tradition of scrappy, resourceful filmmaking.

Critical response was mixed, but many reviewers praised the film for its lean storytelling and rising tension in a single threatening environment. It highlights isolation and group dynamics under pressure, turning everyday chores into survival drills as fear reshapes trust. The intruder remains a shadowy, unpredictable menace that reveals how people react when danger comes from within for audiences today.