The Hideout

The Hideout

Year: 2007

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: English

Director: Pupi Avati

HorrorMysteryThriller

A mystery‑thriller follows an Italian woman who relocates to Davenport to open a restaurant. After her husband’s suicide, she spends fifteen years in a Minnesota mental hospital. When she finally reopens a restaurant, she learns a murder occurred there fifty years earlier and begins to investigate, uncovering a hidden conspiracy.

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Timeline & Setting – The Hideout (2007)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Hideout (2007). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Past era and present day

The story unfolds in two eras: a bygone period when the convent served as a boarding house for nuns and novices, and a contemporary present where a new owner moves in to revive the mansion as a restaurant. The past is marked by a violent crime and unresolved tragedy that continues to haunt the building. In the present, trauma, mystery, and supernatural occurrences collide as the protagonist investigates the house's dark history.

Location

Snake's Hole, old convent boarding house, historic mansion

The house known as Snake's Hole is a former church boarding house for nuns and novices, now a large, historic mansion that becomes the focal point of both timelines. Its attic and hidden ventilation tunnels hold the physical remnants of a brutal past—murders, missing novices, and a lingering sense of menace. The location embodies the tension between sacred history and sinister secrets, driving the characters toward discovery and danger.

❄️ Gothic 🏚 Haunted 🗝 Mystery

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:18

Main Characters – The Hideout (2007)

Meet the key characters of The Hideout (2007), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Paula Hardyn (Rita Tushingham)

The present-day protagonist, a trauma survivor who inherits wealth and buys the old mansion to start a restaurant. She experiences chilling voices and becomes determined to uncover the house’s history, despite disbelief from others. Her stubbornness and resourcefulness drive the investigation into the mansion’s secrets.

👩 Protagonist 🧠 Trauma survivor 🕵️ Investigator 🏚 Haunted house

Padre Amy (Treat Williams)

A compassionate priest who befriends Paula, offering guidance while warning her about the house’s dangerous past. He provides a steady, spiritual counterpoint to her fear and acts as a cautious ally in the investigation.

🕊 Spiritual guide 🤝 Ally 🧭 Skeptic

Dr. Spivey (Robert Madison)

Paula’s psychiatrist who released her from care and instructed her to contact him if she experiences voices again. He embodies clinical professionalism and pragmatic skepticism, potentially bridging medical understanding and the protagonist’s experiences.

🧠 Psychiatrist 👂 Listener 💬 Professional

Mother Superior (Angela Goodwin)

The stern head of the convent in the past timeline, keeper of order and the convent’s secrets. She embodies authority and significance in the tragedy that haunts Snake's Hole.

🕊 Spiritual leader 🏛 Church authority 🔒 Secret keeper

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:18

Major Themes – The Hideout (2007)

Explore the central themes of The Hideout (2007), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👻 Hauntings

A persistent spectral presence and eerie voices invade the new home, implying the past is not truly over. The haunting deepens as the protagonist hears a gruesome voice and discovers unsettling noises, challenging ordinary explanations. The narrative uses the supernatural as a conduit to explore unresolved grief and memory. Belief and skepticism clash as the danger grows.

💔 Trauma

The plot centers on deep psychological scars from rape, a nervous breakdown, and a lengthy asylum stay. Trauma shapes the present protagonist's reactions, relationships, and trust in others. The story uses memory and fear to examine how past violence echoes into the present. Recovery is tested as the line between reality and fear becomes blurred.

🗝 Secrets

Long-buried secrets about the convent, the murders, and the missing novices drive the mystery forward. Hidden ventilation tunnels and concealed histories reveal how the past was kept quiet. Each clue uncovers a harsher truth about the house and its inhabitants. The past's secrets threaten to repeat themselves unless confronted.

🕯 Isolation

The protagonist faces danger largely alone, with disbelief from others and a sprawling mansion as her isolation amplifies fear. The setting intensifies psychological strain as she hunts for truth without reliable allies. The house becomes a test of endurance and resolve. In solitude, her determination to uncover the truth is both a strength and a vulnerability.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:18

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The Hideout Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Hideout, 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.

The Hideout Summary

The Hideout Timeline

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The Hideout Timeline

The Hideout Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Hideout Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Hideout

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