Year: 1988
Runtime: 83 mins
Language: English
Director: William Wesley
Five men hijack a payroll shipment at Camp Pendleton, then kidnap a pilot and his daughter to fly them to Mexico. During the flight a double‑cross forces one thief to parachute with the money onto an isolated farm, where eerie scarecrows stand sentinel. The remaining crew follows, confronting the thieves and their former partner throughout a single, night‑long, harrowing confrontation.
Warning: spoilers below!
Haven’t seen Scarecrows 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!
Read the complete plot breakdown of Scarecrows (1988), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Five paramilitary mercenaries and war criminals—Corbin, Curry, Jack, Roxanne, and Bert—steal three million dollars from Camp Pendleton and take two hostages: Al, a pilot, and his teenaged daughter, Kellie, along with their dog Dax. The grim plan heads for the border, and the loot becomes a dangerous tether binding them all together.
As they fly toward Mexico, Bert steals the loot and parachutes into a dark field. Corbin and Jack parachute after him. Upon landing, Bert’s parachute gets tangled in a tree, and, after untangling himself, he discovers a scarecrow standing amid graves and an old, abandoned farmhouse in the distance. He escapes in a truck parked by the house, driving down a desolate road and pulling the loot back into the shadows. The truck, oddly, seems to lack an engine, and Bert tries to flee on foot with the trunk full of cash. Soon he finds himself in a grove of eerie scarecrows, and one of them animates itself and stabs him to death in a supernatural moment.
Meanwhile, Curry, Roxanne, and Kellie land after the plane’s arrival and reach the house, discovering Corbin and Jack inside. From the roof, a glimpse of the loot near three crosses appears, and the scarecrows that once guarded the field have vanished. Roxanne stays with Kellie while Jack, Curry, and Corbin head into the field to chase the money. They locate Bert’s abandoned truck and spot a scarecrow in the driver’s seat, then find Bert’s parachute bag hanging from a tree—its contents alarmingly blood-filled. Back at the house, Bert reappears, and the group engages in a brutal confrontation. The fight reveals Bert’s abdomen has been eviscerated, his body stuffed with dollar bills, yet he remains alive. Curry and Roxanne shoot him repeatedly, but the bullets prove futile. Corbin finally decapitates him, and Kellie flees into the field, discovering her father Al’s eviscerated body hung from a scarecrow post with barbwire. Corbin retrieves Kellie, bringing her back to the house, where Jack and Roxanne continue to extract the cash from Bert’s hollowed corpse. Corbin informs them Al is dead, and Kellie slaps Roxanne in the face, chastising them for what has happened.
Jack notices that more dollar bills have blown into the field near the house, and the group rushes outside to gather what they can. In a remote section of the field, Jack is murdered by a scarecrow, which dismembers him with a handsaw before stabbing him in the face. While searching for Jack, Curry finds three scarecrows in the field, but they vanish again. Curry grows convinced the scarecrows are possessed by the spirits of three deceased Satanist farmers—[Jakob Fowler], [Benjamin Fowler], and [Norman Fowler]—whose photograph hangs inside the farmhouse. Roxanne, Corbin, and Kellie decide to leave, but Curry stays behind, refusing to depart without Jack. The trio becomes separated in the field, and, while trying to recover loose dollar bills, Roxanne is viciously killed by a scarecrow. Corbin shoots a pursuing scarecrow and they flee toward the plane, though Corbin is wounded in the leg while crossing a fence. Kellie fires at two approaching scarecrows, buying them a narrow escape.
Back at the house, Curry discovers Bert’s severed head and limbs have reanimated, and he is confronted by a grotesquely deformed Jack who stabs him to death. Kellie then flies the plane out of the field with Corbin and Dax. Once in the air, a shocking twist unfolds as Corbin is stabbed by a repossessed Al, who had covertly boarded the plane. The vengeful Al attacks Kellie, stabbing her through the wrist, and a harrowing struggle ensues. Corbin manages to recover and the two begin fighting, ending with a grenade blast that kills them both. A morning-newscast voice-over reports the plane was found near San Diego, with the charred remains of two individuals being feasted on by Kellie’s dog, who must be tranquilized by a SWAT team, while Kellie herself lies unconscious in the cockpit, left in a state of shock.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:33
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.
Stories where a group is hunted through a single terrifying night with no escape.If you liked the non-stop, night-long terror of Scarecrows, you'll find more movies like it here. These horror stories feature groups trapped and hunted through one harrowing night, emphasizing fast pacing, high intensity, and a desperate fight for survival against overwhelming odds.
The narrative follows a simple, linear structure: a group is isolated, a threat is revealed, and a series of violent encounters whittles down the cast until dawn. Character development is minimal, prioritizing relentless forward momentum and the visceral experience of survival against an unstoppable force.
These movies are grouped by their shared structure and relentless mood. They prioritize a fast pace and high intensity, creating a claustrophobic, breathless viewing experience defined by a siege narrative that offers little respite and often culminates in a bleak outcome.
Stories where criminal or immoral protagonists are hunted by supernatural forces of vengeance.For viewers who enjoyed Scarecrows' theme of thieves being hunted by demonic scarecrows, this list features similar movies like it. These stories explore supernatural vengeance against criminals, often with a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and bleak conclusions about crime and punishment.
The narrative pattern involves a crime or transgression that summons a supernatural force of vengeance. The protagonists, already morally compromised, are systematically hunted and punished. Their journey is not one of redemption but of inescapable doom, reinforcing themes that evil acts beget horrific consequences.
This thread groups movies by their shared thematic focus on karmic horror and dark morality. They combine crime or betrayal plots with supernatural elements, resulting in a heavy emotional weight and a bleak tone where the horror feels like a direct consequence of the characters' sins.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Scarecrows 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 Scarecrows is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Scarecrows with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Scarecrows. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Scarecrows 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.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Scarecrows: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
Discover movies like Scarecrows 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.
Scarecrows (1988) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline
Scarecrows (1988) Movie Characters, Themes & Settings
Scarecrows (1988) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow
Movies Like Scarecrows – Similar Titles You’ll Enjoy
The Dead (2011) Full Movie Breakdown
Scarecrows (2017) Full Summary & Key Details
Scarecrow Gone Wild (2004) Movie Recap & Themes
Scarecrow Slayer (2003) Movie Recap & Themes
Scarecrow (2002) Detailed Story Recap
The Scarecrow (1982) Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Scalps (1983) Ending Explained & Film Insights
Cemetery of Terror (1985) Full Movie Breakdown
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) Full Summary & Key Details
American Scarecrow (2020) Detailed Story Recap
Rise of the Scarecrows: Hell on Earth (2021) Full Movie Breakdown
Night of the Scarecrow (1995) Spoiler-Packed Plot Recap
Messengers 2: The Scarecrow (2009) Story Summary & Characters
Scarecrow (1973) Detailed Story Recap
Rise of the Scarecrows (2009) Plot Summary & Ending Explained