The Hidden begins with a man standing calmly in a bank. Clad in
a suit with an overcoat, he appears to be the mild-mannered sort--until armed
guards arrive, hauling bags containing cash. The man, whose name is DeVries,
whips out a shotgun, blows the guards away, and then steals the money. Jumping
into a stolen black Ferrari, DeVries leads the LAPD on a wild chase through the
streets of the city, coldly running over people who were unfortunate enough to
be in his way. The police box him into a roadblock, where they blast him into
kingdom come. DeVries had been a particularly nasty bastard: he had been a
stockbroker before he abruptly cut a broad path of murder and mayhem through the
city.
His collision with the police leaves DeVries in the hospital in critical
condition, where he is not expected to live through the night. Detective Tom
Beck (Michael Nouri) happily moves onto another case. However, an FBI agent
named Lloyd Gallagher (Kyle MacLachlan) shows up at the station. He is in
pursuit of DeVries and requests Beck's help in tracking him down. Yet when Beck
informs him that DeVries is all but dead, Gallagher isn't relieved; he still
races to the hospital, as if the comatose DeVries might still be a threat.
Arriving at the hospital, Gallagher finds DeVries dead on the floor of his
hospital room, and his roommate, a man with a heart condition by the name of
Miller, is missing. Suddenly, the LAPD is faced with yet another major crime
spree, this time committed by Miller. Gallagher is unflappable as he returns to
the police station and tells Beck that they must now track down Miller, who
oddly commits his crimes with the exact same M.O. as the deceased DeVries.
Superbly directed by Jack Sholder, from an intelligent, witty script by Jim Kouf
(credited in the film as Bob Hunt), The Hidden is a marvelous, underrated gem
that deftly blends science fiction with the cop/action genre. MacLachlan and
Nouri are excellent as Gallagher and Beck, respectively. Their on-screen
chemistry is great, leading to some genuinely funny character moments; not only
do they ably carry the film, but you really care about what happens to them. The
SF elements are handled in a subtle manner that never overpowers the story,
which leads to a grand twist that raises the stakes tremendously. This is the
little B-movie that could, and did, surpass the usual conventions of the twin
genres it straddles, giving us a fresh, enthralling ride. The DVD is equipped
with an audio commentary with director Sholder speaking about the film with Tim
Hunter in a loose, Q&A format. And Sholder's comments are often refreshingly
blunt; at one point, he laments about the lack of acting skills of a pair of
thespians in a particular scene. There's also a look at the film's effects, with
Sholder's comments, the theatrical trailer, cast and crew filmographies, and
your choice of watching the film either in wide screen or fullscreen (I reviewed
the DVD in widescreen). And Babylon 5 fans should keep an eye out for one of
that series' stars in a small role here. If you're looking for a fast-paced, gripping cop
thriller with SF overtones, you can't go wrong with The Hidden.
--SF
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