Intruder (1989) User Reviews (128)

"Meat Market"

[thesar-2 · 5/10 · 16 April 2022]

Or it could've been called "Market Massacre," "Clean Up on Aisle Dead," "Thank You for Chopping with Us," "Slay-Offs" or "Wal-Mart." Anything but the generic "Intruder."

This movie has many flaws, including said highly generic and actually false title. It's goes from intentional humor to unintentional humor on a dime, but gosh darn it, it's a fun ride with incredible practical gore and inventive props. This should go without saying since it stars Sam and Ted Raimi.

Ah-hem, the "Intruder" is about a night crew paid to clean and stock a soon-to-be-sold and closed down grocery store when a blood-red herring is stalking some of the employees and not all will live to clock out.

There are so many flaws, it's incredibly silly at times and it has some laugh-out-loud props, like shelves of blank tin cans for sale. It's actually hard to take this seriously. That is, until some genuine scares and kills brings you back to the reason you're watching an 80s slasher in the first place. So, I kept flip-flopping on what rating I needed to give this.

It is fitting for a dead-even 3/5 stars as for every amateur mistake and missed opportunity, it is also a great time capsule for that decade of horror. I am shocked though, as a life-long slasher fan, I've never even heard of it. I thought this as the movie opened and the FULL MOON logo appeared.

I literally said out loud: "Well, that explains it."

***

Final Thoughts: I came up with some additional superior titles than the actual one: "Inconvenience Store," "A Mom and Drop Dead Store," "Five-and-Died," "You'll Flee Market" and "Slashed Prices." Okay, fine, I'll work on my comedy bits.

A Fun, Yet Poorly Marketed, Slasher Film

[Scars_Remain · 7/10 · 18 May 2008]

I was very interested in seeing this movie for two very specific reason reasons, the main reason being that I work in a grocery store so the idea of a psycho coming to a the market and killing the night crew off really appeals to me and the other reason is that this movie is marketed as starring Bruce Campbell and he's one of my favorite actors of all time. Don't get me wrong, this movie was a total blast and very satisfying for someone who spends most of their time in a grocery store but I was very disappointed to see that Bruce Campbell was only in the film for about 2 minutes at the very end. The movie was good but that really let me down.

The acting isn't great but it doesn't really have to be because this is your typical 80's slasher and I thought Sam and Ted Raimi were awesome in their roles. The same pretty much goes for the story but there are very few slashers that have well thought out story lines so I think it's pretty much fine. So what, do you ask, can make up for a movie with okay acting and a weak story? The gore, of course! The gore in this film is great. I don't want to give the creative deaths away but you'll have to check it out for yourself.

If anyone reading this happens to work in a grocery store, they absolutely need to see movie for the experience. I can't recommend it enough if you work at one. As for everyone else, you should all check it out too because it is a really good time.

"Cereal" Killer Supermarket

[ElijahCSkuggs · 7/10 · 14 September 2006]

From the makers of The Evil Dead we got a slasher flick that for some reason is kind of a hidden gem. Not many people have seen this movie. I personally bought an Uncut version off a grey market site for 5 bucks. I should add that it was worth it.

Story takes place in a supermarket which seems to only sell cereal...not really, but they like to shoot scenes down that isle. The workers are closing for the night and they just want to finish up and head home. Well that's a shame since there's a killer in the store and the workers start dropping like flies. That's pretty much how the story goes.

But the movie itself was done pretty damn well. You have a cast that was definitely into this movie. They tried to seriously pull it off. There's some dark humor, some great lighting effects and some really good gore effects. I unfortunately was a little disappointed in the amount of gore. I kept on hearing there was tons of it....there's really not that much. But there is enough to keep an average gore fan happy. The movie unfortunately was not scary, but don't dismay, the movie has a special charm, that will most likely keep you (horror fan) happy.

Bruce Campbell is in the movie for a total of about 2 minutes, so even though it says his name on the cover...don't buy/rent it because of him. Intruder is a pretty fun flick to watch. It definitely has more positives than negatives and is better than most slashers. If you're into slasher films, this is definitely one you should add to your collection.

Final Markdown...

[azathothpwiggins · 21 October 2021]

INTRUDER is a fun, gory movie set in a grocery store. A crew of workers is marking down prices on the eve of their big "Going out of business" sale. A thuggish customer gets tossed out, and soon the murders begin.

The obvious suspect becomes less so as the ordeal unfolds.

This movie is inventive, making great use of its single location. There are several clever camera angles and shots (i.e.: looking up through a telephone, a bucket of water, etc.) that help to break up the static and keep things moving.

The characters are humorous, two of whom are played by the Raimi brothers (Sam and Ted). There are also cool cameos by none other than Bruce Campbell and two members of the old Green Acres cast!

The gore factor starts out mild, then accelerates at an alarming rate until body parts are really gushing! There are a couple of jaw-droppers that any true gorehound will appreciate!

Two bloody stumps way up!...

Good Enough Gore Fest

[briandwillis-83825 · 6/10 · 10 March 2022]

Creative camera work and over the top gore effects fill Intruder's fairly short run time with enough ingenuity and kinetic energy to power the less than exciting script and characters that frequently fall short of the mark. Evil Dead fans will like knowing Bruce Campbell has a charming cameo towards the end.

A Splatter Fest

[juderussell-84094 · 6/10 · 9 January 2022]

A lunatic goes on a bloody rampage inside a grocery store on the night it's due to close.

Director Scott Spiegel knows where to put his camera and when to cut away from and when to hold on the masterful gore effects, but the characters aren't the most interesting bunch which drags the pacing down. It's still worth it for the gore effects and creative camerawork.

A real slasher of prices.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 18 October 2021]

'Intruder (1989)' is a slasher set inside a grocery store that sees the late-night crew come under threat from a mysterious manic intent on mutilating every last one of them. The flick isn't a parody, or even a comedy really, but it is well aware of what it is and isn't afraid to be as ridiculous as it wants to be. It's often funny, purposefully so, but it also works as a horror because the kills are grisly, the characters are likable and the flick is generally suspenseful. It's incredibly well made despite its obviously low budget, with some insanely creative shots keeping you engaged even during its duller segments. The killer's face is kept off screen for most of the movie, but it's when their identity is revealed that they really come into their own. They're suitably relentless and equally as deranged, spewing off-kilter commentary in a wonderfully over-the-top way. It's a pitch-perfect performance for what the piece is trying to achieve. The story is simple but effective, essentially acting as an excuse for the plot's carnage. Sadly, the version I watched was heavily cut (for some reason the cut version is the only one that's available through Shudder in the UK). This isn't too detrimental to the picture, as a couple of the more intense kills still genuinely work when they're shown in a more implicit way, but several sequences are heavily diluted and, especially towards the end, it's sometimes difficult to understand what's happening (or, rather, has just happened off screen). The most unforgivable part of the cut version is that it robs you of a moment in which the killer beats someone unconscious with a severed head. Ultimately, though, the piece is still entertaining in its cut form. It knows what it is and relishes it, providing fun rather than scares. Having said that, it also does a great job at building suspense and has several seriously inventive sequences. 7/10.

...where shopping can cost you 1 hour and 23 minutes.

[ElWormo · 4/10 · 6 October 2017]

Why is it that some 80s slashers are so bad they're great, and some are so bad they're bad? Where is that mysterious dividing line? I don't know. But to draw a comparison, when it comes to 'teens- locked-in-shopping-areas-overnight' slashers, whatever it was that made Chopping Mall such an enjoyable treat is completely absent in Intruder, despite the fact that (killer robots aside) both are fundamentally the same and both are completely crap. Chopping Mall is somehow a lot of fun, but Intruder completely drags from the start. Despite the bright colours and snappy camera angles, the whole thing feels enveloped by an invisible vacuum of dullness. It limps from one boring scene to the next and by the time the kills come I'd already lost interest. Even the actors seem bored. It's pointless being too critical because 80s slashers are like the Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards of the movie world anyway, but Intruder is just dull.

A terrifically fun highlight of 80's slashers!

[Nightman85 · 9/10 · 14 September 2006]

Surprisingly good stalk 'n' slash movie from Scott Speigel (long time associate of director Sam Raimi) was probably the last true slasher flick of the '80's.

Grocery store workers are set to do the night shift when an uninvited guest drops in and the employees begin to be butchered.

An effective dark sense of humor, stylish camera work, and eye-popping gore FX (from the makeup masters at KNB FX no less!) uplifts this movie above the normal slasher fair. Granted, the story of Intruder isn't exactly brilliant, but it serves well as a frame work for some highly energized thrills and blood-letting. Also worth mentioning is the atmospheric sense of dread that runs through out the movie.

The cast isn't half bad, some even make for some quirky characters. Genre fans will notice plenty of familiar faces in the cast. Director Sam Raimi appears as the butcher, younger brother Ted Raimi as a produce worker, Renee Estevez as a cashier, Dan Hicks as the store manager, and even B movie hero Bruce Campbell cameos as a cop.

All around Intruder makes for great fun for the slasher fans, exactly how this gem managed to escape me for so long I don't know! Not for the faint of heart.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Fun at the supermarket

[acidburn-10 · 7/10 · 15 March 2013]

The Intruder is a fun little slasher which has kind of got lost amongst the 1980's gems, probably because it came out in the later of the decade which by then was going stale. Okay this movie doesn't break any new ground, but it's very decent and fun and packed full of plenty of thrills and a decent amount of gore which is very pleasing I must say.

The setting is also fun, at a supermarket which is different I suppose, but it's used to great potential here. It does however take it's time into getting to the good stuff and the characters do manage to draw you in as well. It's the second half of this movie that really draws you in and the effects are definitely interesting and well done and packed full of interesting deaths which is everything an 80's slasher should be, it's effective and full of thrills.

The acting is well a bit ropey by some of the cast, but we do get some decent ones as well. Renee Estevez only has a short amount of screen time which is a shame but she does give a decent well rounded performance and should have been the final girl. Elizabeth Cox was simply stunning looking but gave an uneven performance at times, but she was interesting as the final girl. Dan Hicks became a lot more interesting towards the end and really hammed it up with style and I did enjoy the cameos from Sam and Ted Raimi and of course Bruce Campbell. The rest of the performances however were a bit stilted.

All in all "Intruder" is a definite must see for all fans of 80's slashers, it doesn't offer anything new but it's a rather interesting edition.

Bad movie, cool gore though

[azatoth-3 · 2/10 · 2 December 1999]

Oh my god such a boring movie. The only fun in it is all the gore (which isn´t that much when I think about it). Don´t waste you time on this movie, unless you are really bored. That is my advise to you, but if you like watching B-horror flicks from the 80´s be my guest.

Now who wud have thot about bludgeoning someone with a severed head. "Got carried away killing everyone" is hilarious.

[Fella_shibby · 9/10 · 13 March 2021]

I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs n was shocked with the gore n impressed by the effects n innovative kills.

Revisited the 88 mins version recently n i truly miss the 80s man.

This one is still enjoyable n slasher fans will definitely love this. The settings is claustrophobic, the twist is good, the cast recognizable n the kills brutal.

The first kill is an offscreen one but after that all the kills r gory n the effects top notch.

They dont make slashers like these anymore.

Claustrophobic Slasher

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 7 July 2020]

While working in the night shift of a supermarket, the cashier Jennifer Ross (Elizabeth Cox) is harassed by her former boyfriend Craig Peterson (David Byrnes). Her coworkers protect her and soon they learn from the co-owners Danny (Eugene Glazer) and Bill Roberts (Danny Hicks) that the supermarket will be sold to the city hall. They lock the supermarket and promise to pay a bonus to the crew and ask them to reduce the prices in 50% to sell the inventory on the next days. But soon they are murdered one by one by a mysterious intruder in the beginning of a night of killing spree.

"Intruder" is a claustrophobic slasher that takes place in a supermarket during the night. The plot is funny and tense in many moments. The camera work is top-notch and the special effects are also great. The cast has the names of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell in a cameo. For fans of slashers, it is worthwhile watching "Intruder". My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Violência e Terror" ("Violence and Terror")

This is awful, but has ONE classic death scene!

[shes_dead · 1/10 · 20 March 2006]

I rented this one on the basis that it has some pretty good reviews overall, and the Evil Dead 2 connection (the ONLY good film to come out of Raimi/Spiegel/Campbell).

It was to say the least a great disappointment. I could tell from the opening shot of the moon which lasts about 5 minutes while the credits roll that this was going to be bad. I mean, they could have zoomed in or cut to something else or anything!

Still, I gave it the benefit of the doubt but then we are introduced to the characters and you can immediately see the tackiness of the film. The dialogue is painful, the acting is worse. All the characters' personalities blend into one and most of them look the same (not just the Raimi brothers) making it impossible to give two hoots about any of them and thus taking most of the enjoyment out of their death scenes.

Straight off it tries to be funny but fails, as an old man lifts up his bag of shopping - then, surprise! - the bag splits and his shopping falls on the floor. Hilarious. Another example of this fine comedy script is when the police officers finally turn up and one of them says "Here, take my card....oh no, that's not my card." Then he pulls out a new card "That's my card, yeah, ha ha."

Oh dear oh dear do you see what I mean?! And people like this!??!

I think I know why this has a relatively good rating - It's because gorehounds will give 10/10 for any kind of film that has gore in it irrespective of poor script/acting/film-making etcetera (this is how I explain the unrealistically high rating for Lucio Fulci's God-awful movies and other European tripe like the Demons films)

Now don't get me wrong, I like slashers (Black Christmas, Nightmare on Elm Street, Blood and Black Lace, What Have They Done to your Daughters) I am a big horror fan, and I love Evil Dead II. But this is pure trash.

The only bits worth watching are the gore scenes - which come in quite late in the movie. We see a spike through an eyeball (So how is the same thing in Zombie Flesh Eaters still cut in th UK?!!), a headcrushing scene which is nice, and I must admit, one of the most enjoyable death scenes committed to celluloid (along with the death of Tina in Nightmare on Elm Street and Capt. Rhodes in Day of the Dead), when a guy has is face cut in half with a saw.

The effects aren't as realistic as in those two films just mentioned, or even as good as the ones in Evil Dead II, but more akin to the rubber/foam FX in Bad Taste. Still, enjoyable all the same. However, the total of about 2 minutes worth of gore does in no way justify the tripe that is the rest of the movie. Like the badly done intentional 'scares' - at one point one of the characters turns around and the film cuts to a close up of a magazine with Sting on the cover. I could have passed this off as one of the 'jokes' but Spiegel cuts to exactly the same shot later in the film!! Why?!!

It's not hard to work out who the killer is and the 'surprise' ending is just done so badly it made me hate this film even more.

At the end of the day, you're either going to avoid this film, or watch it just for the gore - but expect the worst!

One of the last great slashers of the eighties!

[RareSlashersReviewed · 31 January 2004]

INTRUDER is without a doubt one of the last great slashers from the genre's peak decade. Scott Spiegel had been a friend of both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell since hi school and had also worked with them on most of their early movies, actually co-writing the script for EVIL DEAD 2. For his Directorial debut he roped in his old friends, Placing Raimi in one of his only starring roles. Unfortunately Campbell only managed a small cameo appearance; maybe it was because he was busy with that other great genre piece from the same year MANIAC COP. The movie suffered harshly under the censors, surprisingly more so in the States than at home here in the UK. Although this BBFC certificated print was still missing well over five minutes of footage. There are uncut copies of the movie floating about, but they are in fact so rare that I haven't yet managed to track one down.

It tells the story of a group of teenage workers at a convenience store that have been told that they will soon be losing their jobs due to the fact that the business is losing money and has to close it's doors for good. The night crew are asked to stay late and begin pricing down the stock so that it can be sold at a discount. Cashier Jennifer (Elizabeth Cox) is already on edge because her ex-boyfriend Craig (Danny Byrnes) has just been released from prison for manslaughter and keeps hassling her. He has already kicked off with one of the store managers Bill (Sam Raimi) and has threatened to return. As the workers settle in to their late night shifts it seems that a certain unseen someone is butchering the employees one by one in gruesome and merciless ways. Whoever is behind the remorseless murders is saving poor unfortunate Jennifer for last orders. Will she realise that there's a maniac at work before she becomes chopped meat like the rest of her workmates?

Castwise INTRUDER doesn't work as well as it should have. Cox doesn't manage to convince as the heroine and I believe things would have been better if leading lady duties were handed over to Charlie and Emilio's younger sister Renee Estevez who gave a brief performance as a cashier. But Sam Raimi doesn't disappoint in his rare starring role and we have the great but somewhat short cameos from Campbell and Alvy Moore. Lawrence Bender produced and co-wrote the screenplay before going on to find success a few years later with RESERVOIR DOGS. Actually Spiegel is the one who introduced Quentin Tarantino to Bender, who went ahead and got the movie made. Quentin returned the favour by crediting the writer/director with starting his career.

Where this movie really manages to shine is in the excellent direction. Taking a leaf from his old friend's book, Scott keeps things lively with some zany and interesting camera positions and shots. Although his brave and innovative effort may not appeal to every viewer, you can't help but merit his ingenuity. The dark scenes are satisfactorily lighted and he manages to keep a strong enough pace running throughout. The final chases towards the end get pretty tense and the final plot twist satisfies although it had already been done to similar effect in weaker efforts EDGE OF THE AXE and THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD. The characters are likeable enough if not greatly acted and the plot doesn't waste time to introduce brutality as the major attribute. Although this version may indeed be heavily edited it's still pretty gory and luckily for us the censors weren't as ‘scissor happy' as they have been in the past with other attempts. Although you'll probably guess the silhouetted killer's identity early on (some releases even have his picture on the cover), it really doesn't spoil things too much and there's enough fun to be had with the imaginative murders and suspenseful pacing.

INTRUDER manages not to overuse the relevant clichés and can't help but entertain for it's ninety minute runtime. It's Stylishly directed with a decent score, some innovative murders and a likeable if not overly talented cast. Although further success hasn't found Spiegel as easily as it found Raimi, no one can deny this entry into our favourite sub-genre is easily one of the best. If you can get hold of the uncut copy then add a star to the score below, if not still try your best to seek out this movie. If only for the reason that along with MANIAC COP it remains one of the last great slasher movies to come out of the eighties. Recommended wholeheartedly to all genre fans

And You Thought The Wait In Line Was Murder!

[Minus_The_Beer · 6/10 · 19 March 2016]

Prices aren't the only things being slashed at the local supermarket! Some heads are gonna roll when they see these amazing deals! Clean up on Aisle 9! Okay, that'll do.

In Scott Spiegel's somewhat unassuming directorial debut, "Intruder," the night crew at a supermarket find themselves locked in with a mysterious madman on the prowl. Is it a jilted ex- boyfriend of one of the cashiers? A disgruntled customer who waited too long in line behind the old lady who paid in pocket change? The guy from the opening scene in "Cobra"?

"Intruder" offers a little mystery to the proceedings, which can often feel like a paint-by-numbers slasher. Spiegel, who spent a considerable amount of time working with the "Evil Dead" crew of Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, et al brings some familiar faces along, as well as a few tricks up his sleeve. What "Intruder" may lack in originality, it delivers in physical humor, creative camera angles and some unbelievably over-the-top death scenes. Its cast is mostly unknown (featuring a few cameos here and there you may recognize) and yet perfectly capable. Really, the cast is likable and they add to the underdog charm of the film which, let's face it, was never meant for "classic" status.

Fans of the genre will find many things to like about "Intruder" (which originally went by the much superior and much less generic title of "The Night Crew") and if you've seen enough slashers, you'll forgive its shortcomings for the amount of ingenuity the film works into its limited means. Just an all around pleasant stroll through the aisles of yesterday's slasher oeuvre, be sure to throw "Intruder" in the cart if you haven't already.

Okay, one more: Tonight, the stock-boy will be the one being stalked! No? Okay, I'll leave

I'm Shocked

[jzappa · 7/10 · 24 September 2006]

I mean, despite my gut telling me that it would be an overly campy, cliché-ridden slasher by just another bum director trying to make it into the business the practical way by going the enterprising slasher route, well, I was only half-right, but the half that was wrong was dead wrong. It is a slasher by another director trying to make it into the business the practical way by going the enterprising slasher route, but instead of being overly campy, it is quite cleverly directed. Quite. And as for the clichés, you can never expect one of these movies to be completely devoid of them, but this one is shockingly rebellious against them.

The director, Scott Spiegel, who unfortunately didn't make it as far as most other young, down-to-earth filmmakers with slasher debuts, like John Carpenter (Halloween), Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man), Leigh Whannell (Saw), etc., has ended up in a similar situation as Sean S. Cunningham, who debuted with the original Friday the 13th, never made it up the ladder and kept churning out the campy slashers. That's a shame, because Spiegel has blooming talent evident in Intruder. His attention-coercing point-of-view shots from unusual points of view are very fun and different. His scenes of gore are done with a quirky balance of deadpan and shock. You are shocked that the scene went as far as it did, but at the same time, it was done with such a poker face that you can't help but scoff at its almost comical approach.

Intruder is also refreshingly different in its premise. First of all, it all takes place in a supermarket overnight. Secondly, it gives us twists when it does not seem a likely time for twists. Also, for each murder, there is a different means of dispatch. These visionary murders, if a bit too brief, are increasingly more violent and more inventive each time. I have a feeling Spiegel or Lawrence Bender, the producer and co-writer of the story, were inspired when realizing in a supermarket or butcher shop or grocery store the gruesome possibilities with what one can utilize in the place.

If you are a fan of horror, slasher films, campy 1980s cinema, or anything in that realm, do check into Intruder. You will find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Death scenes in this movie awesome and very gory however it's wasn't fun as my first watch.

[atinder · 7/10 · 18 November 2013]

It's been really long time since, I seen this once, some of gore moment still stuck wit for years after the movie.

The movie start of not great, really odd badly done fight scene, the fight scene was bad ,it funny and dose make sure of the movie look a little outdated now.

Sooner then later, people are being killed by someone in the shop and the kills are best thing about this movie,

I loved all the great awesome gory death scenes in this movie, very gory and do not eat while watching this.

I did forget about the twist the movie, which was really well done, I don't think I have ever been shocked by same movie twice.

Was just me, when one boys being dragged by the killer, screaming and acting like girl are far to funny to take serious, he sure had one the most gruesome kills in this movie.

Great gory deaths in this movie and the movie flowed fell but some of it done seem a little out dated now!

The acting was really good and some of bad acting is actually funny, so make movie even more enjoyable.

7 out of 10

Unfortunate proof that Evil Dead was a fluke

[zauis_at_mp · 3/10 · 8 May 2002]

Created by essentially the same creative talent as the Evil Dead, Intruder presents much of the expected cinematography and gore, but outright fails on plot, scares, and music.

Dialog is excellent in the beginning, but quickly falls apart, along with any real motivation.

The film feels like it was directed by three distinct people, with the first part solid, the middle dull, and the end stylish.

A must if you want to see the Sam Raimi crew test their multitude of unpolished styles against a real audience.

Clean up on ... well, on every aisle.

[hypostylin · 8/10 · 31 December 2007]

To my knowledge, there were no slasher films set within a supermarket before this devilish debut for Scott Spiegel and later Tarantino collaborator Lawrence Bender came along. It's such a great setting for the subgenre, and the store used in Intruder is especially effective on account of its omnipresent dark corners and looming industrial machinery.

As far as the plot goes, you've seen it all before, and not even the "twist" is surprising. However, the film is so well-made that it doesn't matter. It makes up for its lack of originality with some good performances and a helluva lot of style, including unconventional camera-work (which Spiegel is clearly in love with) and brutal gore.

Intruder is especially good considering its late entry into the slasher pantheon, and actually manages to recapture a lot of the stylistic and structural panache of its early '80s predecessors. It graciously avoids the klieg-drenched, hackneyed, and tongue-in-cheek approach of its contemporaries and instead uses murky tints and plays it straight and without airs. This is easily one of the better slasher outings of the entire decade.

Also, the Final Girl wears some killer straight-outta-1989 pleated khakis.

falls flat

[nick121235 · 6/10 · 12 August 2017]

This film was alright but it certainly wasn't groundbreaking or anything. Intruder was a fairly typical slasher, and the fact that it was released in 1989, about the time the entire slasher craze was over, is pretty telling; this movie sort of sums up the entire reason that the slasher subgenre was falling out of fashion- it had gotten boring. Intruder isn't exactly a BAD film, but it's extremely unoriginal. The plot is very basic and straightforward, there's really nothing going for it, and the only reason it exists is to serve as a backdrop for the killings. And the killings aren't all that spectacular either. They're mostly rehashes of scenes from earlier slashers and special effects, while adequate, do nothing to save them. Everything that happens plot-wise is more than obvious and the writers rely heavily on the whole 'final girl' thing, which doesn't really work out that well. Despite all of this, Intruder is still pretty fun and while I wouldn't re-watch it, it's not a bad way to waste an hour and a half. Just make sure you have a beer or five close at hand.

what?

[Horrorfan1995 · 3/10 · 26 March 2011]

This is without a doubt one of the worst slasher films of all time. How bad is it you may ask, well, where do I begin.

First of all, the movie says that the main characters are Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi and Bruce Campbell, there even top built on the poster, the trailer, even the DVD cover. Well, Sam is just a supporting character, Ted only had a small role, even Bruce appears at the end of the film for like 30 seconds.

The next problem is the music. First of all, it sounds like something from a horror special from a television show. Second, the main theme was ripped off from Transformations.

The biggest problem for me is that the killer is revealed in the trailer. There's no build up or suspense, not even a hint whether there will be a killer or an evil force, we know what he looks like. In a good movie like Jaws, we never see the Shark until the end of the film. But in a bad movie like this, we see him automatically.

Even the ending sucks. The police come and arrest the protagonists. The "main girl" tries to explain that she called the police but one of the cops keeps plumbing the crap out of them for not shutting up. In another slasher film, the police would question the protagonist and either believe them or get killed by a jump-scare, but here, the police arrest every innocent person out there, CLEARLY THERE THE BEST!

Please, just do me a favor, and never see this film. 3/10

The last great slasher film of the 80's.

[FrightMeter · 9/10 · 16 October 2008]

By the time "Intruder" was released, the slasher craze that dominated the early to mid-80's was pretty much over. The market had been so saturated with this genre (especially the DTV market), that so many that were being released were just clones of various predecessors, and not very good ones. Films like "The Last Slumber Party" and "Killer Workout" highlighted what went wrong with the genre during this time; filmmakers had become lazy. Anyone thought they could make a slasher flick and what resulted were films that were full of clichés, bad acting, and awful production values. Besides die-hard horror fans, most lost interest in the genre.

But in 1989 "Intruder" came along. And while it has its clichés and other flaws, it stood out simply because we could tell that true effort was put into the film. It looks good, there is some great, inspired moments of direction, the acting is decent, the atmosphere foreboding, and the gore effects extremely impressive. All of this on top of a setting not seen in a horror film before-a grocery store-elevated it into one of the best slasher flicks of the 80's.

The plot involves a group of workers at a local grocery store who are told that the store is closing and that that night will be there last being employed. This causes a few grumbles, on top of the fact that one of the clerk's, (Elizabeth Cox), boyfriend who was just released from jail for manslaughter showed up to harass her. He is quickly ejected from the store, though not without a fight. However, after the store officially closes, it doesn't take long for an unknown intruder to begin butchering the crew in very very very brutal ways. The film is extremely graphic and contains probably two of the most graphic death scenes of any slasher from the 80's--one involving a trash compacter and one involving a meat slicer. As disturbing and noteworthy as they are, the deaths are not even the best thing about this film. Spiegel obviously is a fan of the genre and his direction illustrates this. He knows how to build tension and implements some pretty creative camera angles. That foreboding atmosphere that is created is incredibly creepy, and the soundtrack certainly adds to the dark, isolated setting of the supermarket. The film never manages any real jumps or scares, but still creates a uncomfortable, dirty feeling that is almost just as frightening. The pace is fast, the acting decent (though I would have preferred Renee Estevez cast as the lead, as she was the stronger actress and was definitely underused).

My only gripe with this film is the last 15 minutes or so. Once the killer is revealed, Spiegel abandons the creepy, unsettling tone that he tried so hard to successfully create, and the film adopts a lighter, almost comical tone. The killer makes some wise-cracks that are completely unnecessary and the film almost loses its effectiveness. The ending also tries to be unconventional, but comes of as unbelievable, and again, abandons the horror aspect of the film.

This film is a must see for slasher fans and is truly a great ride. It has aged pretty well and truly is one of the best slasher films not only of the 80's, but possibly of all time.

My Grade: A

Gore Galore

[CMRKeyboadist · 7/10 · 18 November 2005]

I just recently saw the "R" rated version of this movie and new it could be so much more than just a silly slasher flick and finally just a few weeks ago I managed to find a full uncut version of this film. This film can be extremely gory. I mean like Lucio Fulci gory at times. The film was directed by infamous "B" movie director/writer Scott Spiegel and co-stars Sam Raimi, his brother Ted Raimi, Bruce Campbell (in a 2 minute role), Dan Hicks (Evil Dead 2) and Renee Estevez (Emilio's sister). If you have ever seen a Scott Spiegel film than you should love this one as in my belief this is probably his best movie. The acting is decent for a movie of this kind and the story, which isn't all that great, works for a certain mood for the movie. So, if you like gore galore I would highly suggest finding the uncut version of this movie as you will not be disappointed.

Formulaic slasher with descent killing scenes.

[paulclaassen · 3/10 · 29 February 2020]

Being an 80s slasher horror, 'Intruder' is pretty formulaic and from the onset there's very little guessing as to who will survive the massacre.

Yup, the 80s certainly dished up a generous portion of mindless slasher films. Some were good, some not so, and some - like 'Intruder' - were average. As for the plot, the reason behind the killings are just preposterous, but this is compensated by good (if not disgusting) practical prop effects. Each killing is shown in detail, and its clear the production team obviously experimented with various elements, and then incorporated them in the film. The result is a slasher film with pretty descent, cringe worthy (in a horrifically good way) killing scenes. Certainly not bad for its low budget.

Towards the end, everything simply seem to happen for effect only and all reasonable behavior is thrown to the wind. There's a scene where the killer is stalking a victim, and in the next scene he is suddenly outside killing a delivery man. What? Why? The final act was quite bad, actually. Pity.

Would I watch it again? No.