# Hidden (2015 film)
**Hidden** is a 2015 American horror and science-fiction thriller written and directed by Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, in which a family survives in a fallout shelter while an unknown threat hunts them on the surface. It stars [Alexander Skarsgård](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexander-skarsgard) as Ray, Andrea Riseborough as Claire, and [Emily Alyn Lind](https://www.edgepedia.org/emily-alyn-lind) as their daughter Zoe, and it was the Duffer Brothers' first feature film, released before they created the Netflix series *Stranger Things*.[1](https://www.space.com/entertainment/best-underground-sci-fi-movies) • [2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2131532/credits/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Directors and writers | Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, their feature debut[1](https://www.space.com/entertainment/best-underground-sci-fi-movies) • [2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2131532/credits/) |
| Lead cast | Alexander Skarsgård (Ray), Andrea Riseborough (Claire), Emily Alyn Lind (Zoe)[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2131532/credits/) |
| Premise | A family has lived in a fallout shelter for 301 days after a day of devastation, while something above threatens them[3](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/hidden/cast/2030319209/) |
| Release | United States theatrical release September 15, 2015; rated R[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/hidden-3) |
| Runtime | 83 minutes[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/hidden-3) |
| Key crew | Composer David Julyan, cinematographer Thomas Townend, editor Jeffrey M. Werner, production designer Jim Bissell[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2131532/credits/) |
| Audience scores | IMDb 6.3 from about 30,000 votes; Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer 80%[5](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Hidden_2015?hl=en_US&id=wErTUNng_TM.P) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
The film follows Ray, Claire, and their seven-year-old daughter Zoe, an American family in Kingsville, North Carolina, who have existed in a bomb shelter since escaping a day of devastation. For 301 days they have turned their concrete refuge into a home, holding on to memories and hope for a normal life, while eluding what looms above the surface: heavy breathing and booming footsteps that punctuate the night. Their haven is eventually breached, and something comes for them.[3](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/hidden/cast/2030319209/) Netflix's synopsis describes a family adjusting to life in an eerie underground bunker, hoping the terrifying creatures above never find them.[6](https://www.netflix.com/title/80073871)
The premise is a family taking refuge underground to avoid a dangerous outbreak.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hidden-2015) A retrospective overview describes a family driven underground by military bombing after a viral outbreak, and SlashFilm explains that the Breathers are soldiers wearing gas masks to protect themselves from the infection Ray, Claire, and Zoe all have.[1](https://www.space.com/entertainment/best-underground-sci-fi-movies)
## Production and crew
The film was written and directed by the Duffer Brothers, with Lawrence Grey, Roy Lee, and Mason Novick as producers; [Richard D. Zanuck](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-d-zanuck) is also credited as a producer.[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2131532/credits/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hidden_2013/cast-and-crew) David Julyan composed the score, Thomas Townend was the cinematographer, Jeffrey M. Werner edited, Jim Bissell was the production designer, and Carmen Cuba was the casting director.[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2131532/credits/) • [3](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/hidden/cast/2030319209/) Martín Hernández served as sound designer.[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/hidden-3)
Supporting cast members include Steven Elliot as Ted Neary, Heather Doerksen as Jillian, William Ainscough as Joey Neary, and David James Lewis as the Breather Lieutenant.[3](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/hidden/cast/2030319209/) The production company was Primal Pictures, with Warner Bros. also credited; the film was released by Warner Bros.[9](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/hidden/20072288/main/) • [1](https://www.space.com/entertainment/best-underground-sci-fi-movies)
## Release and ratings
The film received a United States theatrical release on September 15, 2015, with an R rating and a listed duration of 83 minutes.[4](https://watch.afi.com/movie/hidden-3) • [10](https://www.moviebuff.com/hidden) In Australia it was classified MA 15+ for strong horror violence, with a classification date of September 24, 2015, a year-of-production entry of 2014, and a DVD duration of 80 minutes.[11](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/hidden-2) It later became available digitally, rentable on services such as Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home, and sold on DVD and Blu-ray.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hidden-2015)
## Reception
The film drew little attention on release. A retrospective science-fiction roundup calls it a low-budget thriller that was barely noticed when it came out, and describes it as an underrated title with similarities to *A Quiet Place*.[1](https://www.space.com/entertainment/best-underground-sci-fi-movies) Aggregated scores are moderate: IMDb lists 6.3 from roughly 30,000 votes, and the Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer stood at 80% on [Google Play](https://www.edgepedia.org/google-play)'s listing.[5](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Hidden_2015?hl=en_US&id=wErTUNng_TM.P) The Horror Database characterizes it as a slow-burn survival horror and isolation film, moderately gory, suited to viewers who prefer uncomfortable family-drama horror over fast spectacle.[12](https://thehorrordatabase.com/like/hidden) [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) records no domestic, international, or worldwide gross figures for the film.[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2131532/credits/)
## Afterlife and the Duffer Brothers
The film's profile rose after its directors became known for *Stranger Things*, the Netflix science-fiction horror series that ran for five seasons. Commentators now present *Hidden* as the Duffers' overlooked debut, and it appears in editorial lists of underrated or hidden-gem horror films.[1](https://www.space.com/entertainment/best-underground-sci-fi-movies)
## Other 2015 films titled Hidden
The title was shared in the same year by unrelated works. A 22-minute British short film *Hidden*, directed and written by Quason Matthews, about a young woman who encounters a peculiar stranger on her way home, was released in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2015, with Lauren Cato, Mervin Cato, and Malik Kaddu starring; its cinematographer was [Halyna Hutchins](https://www.edgepedia.org/halyna-hutchins).[13](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5663872/) • [14](https://watch.afi.com/movie/hidden-4) An Austrian feature drama also titled *Hidden* (German title *Im Verborgenen*), set in Vienna in 1944 and directed by Goran Rebic, was recorded by the Austrian Film Institute as in production, with shooting scheduled for September and October 2026.[15](https://filminstitut.at/en/movies/hidden)
## References
1. [The 10 best underground sci-fi movies, Space.com](https://www.space.com/entertainment/best-underground-sci-fi-movies)
2. [Hidden (2015), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2131532/credits/)
3. [Hidden – Full Cast & Crew, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/hidden/cast/2030319209/)
4. [HIDDEN, American Film Institute](https://watch.afi.com/movie/hidden-3)
5. [Hidden (2015), Google Play Movies](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Hidden_2015?hl=en_US&id=wErTUNng_TM.P)
6. [Hidden, Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/title/80073871)
7. [Hidden streaming: where to watch online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hidden-2015)
8. [Hidden: Cast and Crew, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hidden_2013/cast-and-crew)
9. [Hidden (2015), Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/hidden/20072288/main/)
10. [Hidden (2015), Moviebuff](https://www.moviebuff.com/hidden)
11. [HIDDEN, Australian Classification](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/hidden-2)
12. [Movies like Hidden (2015), The Horror Database](https://thehorrordatabase.com/like/hidden)
13. [Hidden (Short 2015), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5663872/)
14. [HIDDEN (short), American Film Institute](https://watch.afi.com/movie/hidden-4)
15. [Hidden, Österreichisches Filminstitut](https://filminstitut.at/en/movies/hidden)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Horror films (individual works) › Psychological horror films › Psychological horror films, 2010s and later*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license