Hider in the House (1989)

·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

Gary Busey filmed Hider in the House just three months before a motorcycle accident gave him permanent brain damage.

The episode begins with the hosts introducing themselves and the movie, Hider in the House, from 1989. They note the film's troubled release, delayed due to Vestron Pictures' bankruptcy. The director, Matthew Patrick, is discussed as relatively unknown. Writer Lem Dobbs is highlighted for his work on Dark City, The Limey, and Gotti. The cast is a major focus: Gary Busey's role is analyzed in light of his traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle accident in December 1988, just months after filming. The hosts compare his pre- and post-accident career, mentioning films like The Buddy Holly Story, Point Break, and Predator 2. Mimi Rogers' role and her connection to Scientology and Tom Cruise are mentioned. Michael McKean and Bruce Glover's performances are also noted. The plot is summarized: Busey's character, Tom Sykes, is released from a mental institution, hides in a family's attic, and becomes obsessed with them. The hosts describe key scenes, including the opening title sequence that implies child abuse, the construction of the hideout, the killing of the family dog and an exterminator, and Busey's manipulation of the family dynamics. They discuss the film's tone as a domestic thriller, comparing it to Lifetime movies and exploring its themes of suburban anxiety and marital strife. The hosts analyze specific moments, such as Busey listening via intercom to orchestrate the husband's exposure for cheating, the tense scene where he almost gets caught in the shower, and the climax where he is shot. They also read listener mail about the film and related movies like Bad Ronald and Under the Skin. The episode concludes with each host giving their opinion on the movie, generally praising its suspense and Busey's performance despite its Lifetime-esque qualities.

As heard by us

A suburban thriller works best when the hosts lean into family fear and the film's odd release history.

Saturday Night Freak Show frames Hider in the House as a suburban pressure-cooker, and that read gives the discussion its best shape. The movie's odd release path gets a little attention, but the sharper thread is the way family strain and stalking blur into the same kind of…

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Why you'd press play

You get a nasty Hider in the House episode and a lot of smart banter.

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