Scarecrows

Scarecrows

Year: 1988

Runtime: 83 mins

Language: English

Director: William Wesley

HorrorHorror

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!

Timeline & Setting – Scarecrows (1988)

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

Time period

Location

Camp Pendleton, California, Mexico, San Diego, California, Abandoned farmhouse, Remote field with scarecrows

The action moves from Camp Pendleton to the Mexican border region, then shifts to an isolated farmhouse and a desolate field dotted with scarecrows. The locations are stark and sparse, emphasizing a harsh, dangerous environment that amplifies tension. The conclusion ties back to the San Diego area, anchoring the border-crossing strategy and its grim aftermath.

🏞️ Rural setting 🗺️ Cross-border context 🏚️ Abandoned locations 🌵 Desolate landscape

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:32

Main Characters – Scarecrows (1988)

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

Jack (Richard Vidan)

A ruthless mercenary who pushes for decisive, brutal action and frequently clashes over the loot. He participates in the hijack and chase with a cold, calculated demeanor. In the field sequence, he is killed by a sentient scarecrow after a dismembering attack.

🧭 Leader 🗡️ Violent 🧩 Calculating

Corbin (Ted Vernon)

A hard-edged mercenary who embodies pragmatic violence and leadership under pressure. He drives much of the pursuit and remains a central antagonist until the final confrontation. His fate is sealed in the climactic skirmish surrounding the escape.

🧭 Commander 🗡️ Violent 🧩 Ruthless

Al (David James Campbell)

A skilled pilot and hostage, integral to the plan but ultimately confirmed dead by the end of the unfolding events. His death marks a turning point in the crew's grip on the loot.

🧭 Pilot 🗡️ Victim 🫧 Traumatized

Curry (Michael David Simms)

A mercenary who participates actively in the hijack and violent pursuit. He remains loyal to the mission until a fatal confrontation reveals the crew's perilous dynamics.

🗡️ Violent 🧭 Loyal 🧩 Hot-headed

Bert (B.J. Turner)

One of the five mercenaries who steals the loot; his greed drives reckless decisions. He meets a gruesome end as the scarecrow-infested field reveals its supernatural protection.

🧭 Opportunist 🗡️ Violent 🧩 Treacherous

Kellie (Victoria Christian)

Al’s teenage daughter who becomes a central survivor figure, taking control of the plane to escape the danger. Her reactions anchor the emotional core of the final escape.

🧭 Survivor 🧩 Resolve 💖 Protective

Roxanne (Kristina Sanborn)

A mercenary whose involvement turns deadly in the field as the scarecrows close in. Her arc underscores the film’s themes of peril and betrayal.

🗡️ Violent 🧭 Fearless 🧩 Calculating

Jakob Fowler (Tony Santory)

One of the deceased Satanist farmers whose image hangs in the farmhouse; his spirit is implied to possess the scarecrows, fueling the haunting.

👁️ Supernatural 🧩 Ancestor 🕯️ Ritual

Benjamin Fowler (Mike Balog)

Another deceased farmer whose photograph appears in the farmhouse, later connected to the scarecrow haunt.

👁️ Supernatural 🧩 Ancestral 🕯️ Ritual

Norman Fowler (Phil Zenderland)

The third photographed farmer whose memory ties into the field’s eerie, otherworldly force.

👁️ Supernatural 🧩 Legacy 🕯️ Ritual

Radio Newscast (Don Herbert)

A morning news broadcast provides the final external narration, reporting the plane’s fate and the disturbing aftermath.

🎙️ News 🧭 Context 🗞️ Broadcast

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:32

Major Themes – Scarecrows (1988)

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

👻 Supernatural

Scarecrows here are more than prop figures; they appear to be possessed by the spirits of deceased farmers Jakob, Benjamin, and Norman Fowler. The haunting transforms a straightforward robbery into a deadly, otherworldly threat. The presence of the spirits heightens fear and redefines who is truly in danger. The supernatural element blurs the line between crime and cosmic punishment.

💰 Greed

A $3 million heist drives the mercenaries, uncovers cracks in loyalty, and triggers vicious pursuit. The cash reappears in the field and even within a decorated corpse, showing how greed corrupts perception and motives. Violent decisions escalate as the pursuit intensifies, revealing the true cost of wealth. The narrative suggests money can awaken consequences that outpace human control.

🛡️ Survival

Kellie seizes control of the escape, piloting the plane to flee the perilous field. The group fractures under fear, forcing brutal choices and testing loyalties. The scarecrows’ onslaught becomes a brutal exam of resilience and sacrifice. Survival in this world comes at a high price, with losses piling up as the escape unfolds.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:32

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.

Relentless single-night siege horror movies like Scarecrows

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.

relentlessclaustrophobicdesperatebrutalnight-longsiegesurvival

Narrative Summary

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.

Why These Movies?

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.

Supernatural punishment horror movies like Scarecrows

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.

supernaturalvengeancebleakpunitivekarmicdarkbrutalmoral collapse

Narrative Summary

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.

Why These Movies?

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.

Unlock the Full Story of Scarecrows

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.

Scarecrows Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Scarecrows, 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.

Scarecrows Summary

Scarecrows Timeline

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.

Scarecrows Timeline

Scarecrows Spoiler-Free Summary

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.

Scarecrows Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Scarecrows

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.

More About Scarecrows

Similar Movies to Scarecrows

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.