The Being

The Being

Year: 1983

Runtime: 81 mins

Language: English

Director: Jackie Kong

HorrorHorror

When illegal toxic waste is dumped near a quiet Idaho community, a young boy mutates into a nightmarish creature. The creature, driven by rage and radiation, stalks the streets, leaving a trail of devastation. As the monster begins slaughtering residents, the town’s police chief joins forces with a government scientist to track and defeat the relentless threat before the entire town is wiped out.

The Being (1983) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at The Being (1983) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the rolling shadows of a sleepy Idaho town, the quiet rhythm of daily life is suddenly underscored by a secret that never should have been buried. Illegal toxic waste, dumped far from the eyes of the world, leaches into the soil and seeps into the air, turning the familiar landscape into a place where the ordinary feels faintly off‑kilter. The town’s close‑knit community, its modest storefronts and open‑wide skies, becomes the backdrop for an unease that grows louder with every passing day, setting a tone that blends rural charm with a creeping, almost palpable dread.

At the heart of this unease is a young boy, Michael Smith, whose accidental exposure to the contaminant triggers a transformation far beyond the bounds of nature. The mutation is not simply physical; it teeters on the edge of animal instinct and human vulnerability, hinting at a creature driven by a mixture of rage and radiation. The very existence of this being raises unsettling questions about the cost of hidden dangers and the fragile line between humanity and horror.

When the strange occurrences spiral out of control, Detective Mortimer Lutz, the town’s police chief, steps into the fray. He is a pragmatic lawman accustomed to the predictable, now forced to confront an anomaly that defies conventional investigation. To match the unknown, he is paired with Garson Jones, a government‑appointed chemical safety engineer whose expertise in hazardous materials makes him the perfect, if reluctant, ally. Their uneasy partnership is overseen by Mayor Gordon Lane, a leader whose priority is the town’s survival, and Marge Smith, a mother whose world is being upended. The dynamic between authority, science, and personal stakes fuels a tense, collaborative hunt for answers.

The film’s atmosphere is a taut blend of science‑fiction horror and small‑town drama, where every quiet street and dimly lit alley could hide the next clue. The looming threat of an unseen, radiation‑born terror forces the characters to wrestle not only with a physical menace but also with the moral weight of their decisions. It is a story that asks how far a community will go to protect itself when the very ground beneath its feet turns hostile, and whether courage and knowledge can outpace a nightmare born from human neglect.

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 16:17

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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.

Small Town Monster Siege Stories like The Being

Isolated communities are stalked by a creature born from man-made disaster.If you liked The Being, explore more movies where isolated communities are terrorized by monsters. These stories often feature environmental or scientific horrors, creating a tense, survival-focused atmosphere in a small-town setting, similar to the radioactive threat in The Being.

survival horrormonstersmall towndesperategrittysiegeecological horror

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically follow a linear hunt or siege structure. A threat emerges, often from a hidden flaw (toxic waste, secret experiment), and the community must band together (or fall apart) to survive. The focus is on the monster attacks and the escalating efforts to stop it.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared core conflict: a small, contained community versus a monstrous antagonist. They share a gritty, survivalist vibe, a steady pacing that builds dread through attacks, and a thematic focus on the consequences of human negligence.

Bleak and Unstoppable Horror Endings like The Being

Stories where victory is temporary and the true horror cannot be defeated.For viewers who appreciated the grim, no-win conclusion of The Being, this thread collects movies with similarly bleak and unstoppable horror. These films often end on a note of despair, suggesting the threat is eternal or has already spread beyond control.

bleaknightmarishhopelessdreadpessimisticunstoppable evildownbeat ending

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a conflict where the characters' efforts are ultimately futile in the grand scheme. The story builds towards a climax that resolves the immediate danger but reveals a deeper, insurmountable problem, subverting the expectation of a clean, happy ending.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their nihilistic and pessimistic endings. They share a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and the core idea that some horrors are too vast or systemic to be truly conquered, creating a particularly potent and memorable sense of dread.

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The Being Summary

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The Being Summary

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The Being Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in The Being

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Characters, Settings & Themes in The Being

More About The Being

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