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Heart of Stone (1985) from Tuna |
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SPOILERS: Heart of Stone (2001) is a serial killer/thriller film. There is a ritualistic murder of a co-ed during the opening credits, then we see Angie Everhart preparing a birthday party for her daughter, who is about to start college. After the party, Everhart tries to seduce her own husband, who is frequently away on business. At this point in the film, about 5 minutes in, based on the man's character and the way they introduced him, I figured he must be the killer. |
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From there, they do their level best to convince the audience that someone else is guilty. A younger man seduces Everhart, then tricks her into lying to give him an alibi for the time of a second ritual killing. He stalks her, we learn that he is a former mental patient, and eventually see him kill several people. Nearing the last five minutes of the film, Everhart's daughter has killed the young man, and I was still convinced that the husband was the serial killer. Sure enough, I was right. |
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The 2015 film Hidden (often subtitled Terror en Kingsville in Spanish-speaking markets) is a claustrophobic psychological thriller that uses the "monster movie" trope to explore profound themes of humanity, societal ostracization, and the lengths of parental devotion. Directed by the Duffer Brothers, the film centers on the Miller family—Ray, Claire, and their daughter Zoe—who have lived in an underground bomb shelter in Kingsville, North Carolina, for nearly a year to escape a cataclysmic event and mysterious "Breathers". The Architecture of Confinement
The film’s power lies in its . For much of the narrative, the shelter is not just a setting but a character that reflects the family's psychological state. By stripping away the outside world, the story forces an intense focus on domestic normalcy under extreme duress. The parents' insistence on "rules"—keeping quiet, maintaining routines—is a desperate attempt to preserve Zoe’s childhood innocence against a backdrop of decay and constant terror. Subverting the "Monster" Archetype Hidden: Terror en Kingsville
Ray and Claire’s humanity is defined by their selflessness. Even as they lose their biological human form, their drive to protect Zoe remains unchanged. The 2015 film Hidden (often subtitled Terror en
This mirrors classic Gothic literature themes where the "monster" is often a reflection of societal fears or a victim of external circumstances rather than inherent evil. The Ethics of Survival For much of the narrative, the shelter is
They carry a virus that transforms them into physically powerful, "monstrous" beings when agitated.
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