Hide and Go Shriek

Hide and Go Shriek

Year: 1988

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Director: Skip Schoolnik

HorrorThrillerHorror

Close your eyes, count to ten, then run for your life. A group of teenagers throw a graduation party in an empty furniture store, staying overnight. When one of them convinces her boyfriend to play hide‑and‑seek among the aisles, a deranged killer begins stalking them one by one, turning their game into a desperate fight for survival.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Hide and Go Shriek yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Hide and Go Shriek (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Hide and Go Shriek (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

The events unfold over a single night following high school graduation, in a contemporary setting. The teens' party and hide-and-seek game escalate into a brutal slasher nightmare as the store becomes a closed-off battlefield. Technology and services of the era (like a phone line cut and a working elevator) heighten the sense of isolation.

Location

Phil Robins' Furniture Store

A sprawling furniture store serves as the claustrophobic playground for the night. The group explores the showroom, stockroom, and elevator after hours, while keeping one eye on the shadowy entrances and the dead-end corridors. The setting becomes a trap as doors are chained and the line to the outside world is cut, forcing the teens to confront a ruthless killer among them.

🏚️ Showroom 🕯️ Nighttime 🚪 Locked exits

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:51

Main Characters – Hide and Go Shriek (1988)

Meet the key characters of Hide and Go Shriek (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

John Robbins (Sean Kanan)

John is a confident, leadership-leaning figure among the group who helps guide the others through the store. His bravado and sexual tension with Bonnie reveal a carefree surface that masks growing tension. He is killed when the killer pierces him with a mannequin's arm in a brutal attack, making him one of the first to fall in the final act.

🏷️ Protagonist 🧭 Leader

Judy Ramerize (Donna Baltron)

Judy pairs with David as part of the couple dynamic in the group. She proves resourceful and quick to act, even taking a swing at the killer with a razor when danger erupts. She survives long enough to see the others through the night and witness the denouement.

🏷️ Resourceful 🧭 Brave

David Hanson (George Thomas)

David is part of the core couple with Judy, presenting a steady, protective presence. He moves to coordinate with the others as danger escalates, helping the group search and defend themselves. He remains alive through the climax and alongside Judy as the survivors leave the store.

🏷️ Protective 🧭 Calm

Bonnie Williams (Bunky Jones)

Bonnie is one of the couples who navigates the nocturnal break-in with humor and caution. She stays close to John and contributes to the group's attempts to fend off the killer. She endures the chaos until the end, leaving the fate of the group in the balance.

🏷️ Loyal 🧭 Steady

Kim Downs (Annette Sinclair)

Kim is part of the couple with Randy and serves as a key participant in the party-turned-nightmare. She is decapitated when the elevator car moves, highlighting the brutal randomness of the killer's attacks.

🏷️ Vulnerable 🧭 Active

Randy Flint (Brittain Frye)

Randy is a member of the group who shares in the evening's festivities and fear. He contributes to the group dynamic and survives to the end along with the other remaining teens, though the night exacts a heavy toll on everyone involved.

🏷️ Jovial 🧭 Survivor

Shawn Phillips (Scott Fults)

Shawn is one of the first victims in the murder spree during the hide-and-seek round, his disappearance signaling the danger closing in. His death intensifies the fear and drives the remaining teens to defend themselves more aggressively.

🏷️ Victim 🧭 Tense

Malissa Morgan (Ria Pavia)

Malissa is another teen who becomes a casualty during the initial round. Her death marks the killing spree's start and heightens the group's anxiety as they realize the danger is real and imminent.

🏷️ Victim 🧭 Tragic

Fred (Jeff Levine)

Fred is an ex-convict hiding in the store, complicating the group’s suspicions. He becomes a reluctant ally as they try to identify the real killer, and ultimately sacrifices himself in the struggle when the killer is revealed to be Zack.

🏷️ Suspect 🧭 Protector

Zack (Scott Kubay)

Zack is the killer, masked under a guise of camaraderie until the truth comes out. He ambushes the group, murders several teens, and battles Fred before meeting his violent end in the elevator shaft. His deception fuels the night’s horror.

🏷️ Antagonist 🧭 Manipulative

Phil Robins (Ronald L. Colby)

Phil is John's father and the store owner who appears at the end to respond to the emergency. He embodies the outsider authority that arrives after the terror, helping to wrap up the crisis.

🏷️ Authority 🧭 Support

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:51

Major Themes – Hide and Go Shriek (1988)

Explore the central themes of Hide and Go Shriek (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧭 Survival

Trapped in a single space, the survivors must improvise defenses and make split-second decisions to stay alive. Fear spreads quickly and trust fragments as people disappear one by one. The characters learn what they are willing to do when every choice could be the difference between life and death.

🔪 Betrayal

Suspicion and deception run high as the killer hides in plain sight and victims turn on each other. Relationships fray under pressure, and past loyalties collide with the urge to survive. The revelation of the killer's identity exposes the complexities of desire and revenge.

🕯️ Isolation

The store becomes a sealed fortress where help seems distant and escape routes are sabotaged. Line cuts, chained exits, and a looming threat bite at the characters' sense of security. The night reinforces how isolation can magnify fear and drive people to drastic actions.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:51

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies like Hide and Go Shriek where characters are trapped and hunted

Survival horror where characters are stalked in a single, inescapable location.If you liked the claustrophobic terror of Hide and Go Shriek, explore more movies where characters are stalked in a single location. These stories use confined spaces like stores, buildings, or vehicles to create intense, survival-focused horror with a desperate fight for escape.

claustrophobicparanoiddesperateanxiousgruesometrappedsurvivalhunted

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with a group entering a seemingly empty or safe location, only to become trapped and systematically hunted. The plot revolves around a desperate game of cat-and-mouse, with the cast being picked off one by one as they try to understand the threat and find a way out.

Why These Movies?

They are grouped by the shared experience of high-tension, location-based survival horror. The core similarity is the oppressive atmosphere created by the confined setting and the constant, palpable threat of a hunter, leading to a fast-paced, anxious, and gruesome narrative.

Slasher movies with personal motives like in Hide and Go Shriek

Slasher films where the killer's motive is rooted in intimate jealousy or revenge.Fans of Hide and Go Shriek's twist involving possessive jealousy will appreciate these slasher movies. Discover similar horror films where the killer has a personal, emotionally charged motive, making the violence feel more intimate and the stakes more psychologically complex.

gruesomebetrayalfearfuldisturbingjealousyrevengeviolenttense

Narrative Summary

The narrative often follows a group, sometimes friends or acquaintances, who are targeted by a killer with a deeply personal grudge. The story builds tension through the slasher formula, but the climax reveals a motive tied to a specific character's past actions, such as betrayal or rejection, giving the violence a tragic and disturbing context.

Why These Movies?

They share a key narrative element: the slasher's motive is not arbitrary but is a direct result of a personal relationship or slight. This creates a heavier emotional weight and a more impactful, often bleak, ending feel compared to slashers with anonymous killers.

Unlock the Full Story of Hide and Go Shriek

Don't stop at just watching — explore Hide and Go Shriek in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Hide and Go Shriek is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Hide and Go Shriek Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Hide and Go Shriek, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Hide and Go Shriek Summary

Hide and Go Shriek Timeline

Track the full timeline of Hide and Go Shriek with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Hide and Go Shriek Timeline

Hide and Go Shriek Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Hide and Go Shriek that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Hide and Go Shriek Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Hide and Go Shriek

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Hide and Go Shriek: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Hide and Go Shriek

Similar Movies to Hide and Go Shriek

Discover movies like Hide and Go Shriek that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.