Starring Christopher Walken and Frances Sternhagen, it tells a story of a family that experiences an extraterrestrial phenomenon while on vacation at a remote home in the wilderness during which the father is abducted and all of their lives change.

On a trip to the family cabin in the woods, the intruder alarm is triggered and Strieber sees a face watching him from the doorway.

Bright light fills the cabin windows and wakes his son and two other family friends but his wife remains asleep.

[1] During production it was reported that on set some members of the crew would crack jokes at Strieber's expense about the autobiographical aspects of the story.

Los Angeles Times called his performance "terrific" and added: "Walken dazzles, giving us an intelligent, talented man caught in a nightmare and fearing for his sanity.