The Entity

Carla Moran, a single mother, finds herself tormented by an unseen force that targets her at home and in her bed. Night after night she endures a sequence of violent assaults, leaving her battered and shaken. She seeks help from a psychiatrist who leans toward childhood trauma as the culprit, arguing that buried memories may be manifesting as anxiety and illness. But Carla suspects a far darker force that defies rational explanation, something that moves through walls and air with terrifying certainty. The story follows her attempt to be believed while investigators and doctors weigh science against a haunting presence that seems to target her alone.

Directed by Sidney J Furie, The Entity arrived in 1982 as a screen adaptation of Frank De Felitta's book The Entity. The film pairs Hershey's grounded performance with practical effects that emphasize dread over gore, and it remains notable for anchoring a high profile horror story to a single mother's perspective.

Box Office: The film grossed about $13,277,558 worldwide on a $9,000,000 budget, yielding solid returns for an early 80s horror title. Its earnings reflect steady interest rather than blockbuster appeal.

Cultural impact: The Entity stands out in horror history for its unabashed focus on trauma and the pressure to believe a survivor. Barbara Hershey delivers a restrained performance that anchors the film's uncanny events. The premise sparked dialogue about trauma, skepticism, and the line between psychological distress and genuine supernatural threat, influencing later stories about invisible hauntings and the fragility of perception.

Reception & themes: Critics were mixed, praising Hershey's commitment and the film's eerie atmosphere while criticizing its sensational edge. The movie pits medical rationalism against a belief in an unseen force, asking whether trauma can be explained away or must be faced on its own terms. It remains a stark example of 80s horror that centers a woman's experience of fear and resilience.