The Entity
As if struggling to make ends meet and trying to get her life back on track wasn't enough, Carla Moran, a hard-working single mother of three, finds herself with the back to the wall when faced with an inexplicable supernatural incident. Now, Carla is having a hard time telling the difference between fact and fantasy, unable to find logical explanations. For instance, how on earth has the unseen assailant managed to break into her secured, locked-up home? Nevertheless, the painful bruises in hard-to-reach parts of Carla's body don't lie. And--as all attempts with psychotherapy failed, and the late-night paranormal attacks become increasingly violent--desperate Carla has no other choice but to turn to a team of parapsychologists who offer, at least, hope for a resolution. However, is there an escape from abstract evil? Above all, can Carla beat the Entity?
Working with a small-scale budget of $9.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $13.3M in global revenue (+48% profit margin).
1 win & 2 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Entity (1982) exhibits strategically placed narrative design, characteristic of Sidney J. Furie's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 5 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.7, the film showcases strong structural fundamentals.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Carla Moran
Dr. Phil Sneiderman
Cindy Nash
Jerry Anderson
Dr. Cooley
Main Cast & Characters
Carla Moran
Played by Barbara Hershey
A single mother terrorized by an invisible supernatural entity in her home. She struggles to prove the reality of her assault while maintaining her sanity and protecting her children.
Dr. Phil Sneiderman
Played by Ron Silver
A psychiatrist who treats Carla and believes her attacks are manifestations of psychological trauma rather than supernatural phenomena.
Cindy Nash
Played by Margaret Blye
Carla's best friend who provides emotional support and witnesses some of the supernatural events, helping validate Carla's experiences.
Jerry Anderson
Played by Alex Rocco
Carla's boyfriend who attempts to support her but struggles to comprehend the reality of her situation.
Dr. Cooley
Played by Jacqueline Brookes
A parapsychologist who believes Carla's experiences are genuine and attempts to help her through scientific investigation of the paranormal.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (2% through the runtime) establishes Carla Moran returns home from work to her children in their modest Los Angeles house. She is a single mother working hard to provide for her three children, living a difficult but manageable ordinary life.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Carla is brutally attacked and raped by an invisible force in her bedroom. The attack is violent, physical, and terrifying. Her screams bring her children, but they see nothing. Her ordinary world is shattered.. At 10% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 32 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 26% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to After another violent attack witnessed by her children, Carla makes the active choice to fight back and seek answers beyond psychiatry. She decides this is real and she must prove it, committing herself to finding a solution despite everyone's disbelief., moving from reaction to action.
At 61 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat A massive attack occurs in front of the parapsychology team. They capture physical evidence - handprints, temperature changes, electrical disturbances. False victory: they have proof. False defeat: the entity is growing stronger and more violent. The stakes escalate dramatically., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 92 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Carla is attacked in front of her children with devastating violence. Her son tries to intervene and is thrown across the room. The entity has destroyed her family's sense of safety. She nearly dies, and her spirit is broken. The whiff of death: she loses hope of ever being free., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 98 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. The parapsychology team presents their plan: recreate her bedroom in a laboratory with liquid helium to freeze the entity and prove its existence. Carla agrees to be the bait. She synthesizes her trauma with their science, choosing to confront the entity on her terms., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Entity's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping The Entity against these established plot points, we can identify how Sidney J. Furie utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Entity within the drama genre.
Sidney J. Furie's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Sidney J. Furie films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Entity represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Sidney J. Furie filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more Sidney J. Furie analyses, see Ladybugs, Iron Eagle and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Carla Moran returns home from work to her children in their modest Los Angeles house. She is a single mother working hard to provide for her three children, living a difficult but manageable ordinary life.
Theme
Carla's friend Cindy discusses the struggle of being believed and taken seriously. The theme of validation versus dismissal - whether trauma is real or imagined - is introduced through their conversation about life's challenges.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Carla's world: her relationship with her children, her boyfriend Jerry, her work life, and her modest home. We see her as a struggling but loving mother trying to maintain normalcy despite economic hardship.
Disruption
Carla is brutally attacked and raped by an invisible force in her bedroom. The attack is violent, physical, and terrifying. Her screams bring her children, but they see nothing. Her ordinary world is shattered.
Resistance
Carla debates whether she is losing her mind. She seeks help from psychiatrist Dr. Phil Sneiderman, who begins treating her for psychological trauma and suggests the attacks are hallucinations stemming from childhood abuse. She resists the idea that it's all in her head.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
After another violent attack witnessed by her children, Carla makes the active choice to fight back and seek answers beyond psychiatry. She decides this is real and she must prove it, committing herself to finding a solution despite everyone's disbelief.
Mirror World
Carla meets parapsychology researchers led by Dr. Cooley at UCLA. They believe her and offer scientific validation. This relationship represents the thematic counterpoint - belief and empirical investigation versus psychiatric dismissal.
Premise
The promise of the premise: paranormal investigators document the phenomenon. They set up equipment, capture evidence, and witness manifestations. Carla explores this new world of parapsychology while attacks continue with increasing intensity and witnesses.
Midpoint
A massive attack occurs in front of the parapsychology team. They capture physical evidence - handprints, temperature changes, electrical disturbances. False victory: they have proof. False defeat: the entity is growing stronger and more violent. The stakes escalate dramatically.
Opposition
The entity's attacks intensify. Dr. Sneiderman aggressively opposes the parapsychology team, insisting Carla is manifesting poltergeist activity through repressed trauma. Carla's family life deteriorates. Her boyfriend leaves. Her children are traumatized. Pressure mounts from all sides.
Collapse
Carla is attacked in front of her children with devastating violence. Her son tries to intervene and is thrown across the room. The entity has destroyed her family's sense of safety. She nearly dies, and her spirit is broken. The whiff of death: she loses hope of ever being free.
Crisis
Carla withdraws in despair. She contemplates giving up entirely. Dr. Sneiderman tries to hospitalize her. In her dark night, she must decide: accept the psychiatric explanation and submit to institutionalization, or take one final stand.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The parapsychology team presents their plan: recreate her bedroom in a laboratory with liquid helium to freeze the entity and prove its existence. Carla agrees to be the bait. She synthesizes her trauma with their science, choosing to confront the entity on her terms.
Synthesis
The finale in the ice chamber. Carla confronts the entity as the team attempts to freeze it. A massive battle ensues. The entity is briefly captured in ice, providing definitive proof, but then breaks free and escapes. The experiment ends in chaos and destruction.
Transformation
Carla returns to her home with her children. The attacks have stopped - for now. Though the entity was never destroyed, Carla has transformed from victim to survivor. She knows it's real, others witnessed it, and she faced it down. She reclaims her life with hard-won strength, no longer needing anyone's belief.