| The Maddening | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Danny Huston |
| Produced by | Mark Amin Charles Finch Leslie Greif |
| Written by | Andrew Neiderman (novel) Henry Slesar Leslie Greif |
| Starring | Burt Reynolds Angie Dickinson Mia Sara Brian Wimmer |
| Music by | Peter Manning Robinson |
| Cinematography | Nick McLean |
| Editing by | Eric L. Beason Roberto Silvi |
| Distributed by | Trimark Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1995 |
| Running time | 95 min |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
The Maddening is a 1995 horror film directed by Danny Huston.
Based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman, published under the title Playmates, this was a direct-to-video creepfest featuring Burt Reynolds and Angie Dickinson.
A young couple, Cassie and David Osborne, have an intense argument. The next morning, after David goes to work, Cassie takes their five-year-old daughter Samantha to stay with her sister, Joanne, for a few days.
Having car trouble, they stop at a seedy-looking gas station, where they are tended to by Roy Scudder, the owner. Instead of helping the mother and child, Scudder rigs the vehicle to break down a short distance down the road. Then he drives down the road and offers to tow them back to his place.
Once there, he locks Cassie in a room to entertain his insane wife Georgina, who's been out of sorts since the mysterious death of her baby boy. Samantha is made to be a "playmate" for the Scudders' daughter Jill, who appears to be as mad as her mother.
Joanne panicks after Cassie and Samantha never reach her house. She calls the police, convinced that David had something to do with their disappearance.
David begins desperately searching for his missing wife and child. He is tracked by a private detective, hired by Joanne, who is convinced David has murdered Cassie and Samantha. As days go by, Cassie is pushed to her limits and discovers that there is nothing she won't do to save her daughter's life and her own.