Movies inspire viewers in so many ways. From fashion to catch phrases and beyond, the list of ways that films impact everyday life is a long one.
As a company that specializes in secret doors, and was inspired to start building secret doors after seeing one in a film, it’s no surprise that movies with secret passageways or a secret entrance capture our attention.
While they look grandiose in films (as they should), secret doors are features that are completely accessible for homeowners — which is to say, secret doors aren’t just for the movies. From the basic to the remarkable, secret doors can range in style and function as far as the imagination can take it.
If a homeowner can dream it up, or if they’ve seen it in a movie, we’ve probably already built one like it or have the ability to create one similar to it.
It isn’t uncommon to see a hidden door or secret passageway in spy or action movies — think Mission Impossible, James Bond or Marvel movies. But, secret doors make cameos in thrillers, too. And, that makes sense, since often in a thriller someone is trying to evade someone else, and a secret passageway makes an ideal hiding spot or clutch getaway.
In Ready or Not, a new bride has to escape her murderous in-laws in a game of hide and seek throughout a home that has secret hiding spaces and hidden passageways. In Knives Out, a secret door plays a critical role in allowing a character — who is a murder suspect — back into a home undetected. And in the animated Coraline, a secret door leads to a mirrored reality.
The horror movie Barbarian relies on secret, underground tunnels throughout its storyline, while the thriller Parasite includes the use of an underground bunker.
Secret doors are definitely a thrill to design and build, and to incorporate into a home. And at Creative Home Engineering, we love the adventure that comes with the process, from idea to concept to the finished product. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of engineering a series of incredible secret doors that are used for novelty, security and entertaining.
And any of them could be film-worthy.
Our secret staircase door, which lifts to reveal a hidden room behind it, could easily make a cameo in an upcoming thriller — when two characters need to speak privately and talk about details of a plan, of course.
Our gold leaf armoire door, when equipped with biometric access and vault locking capabilities, could easily play in an adventure storyline when characters need to make a quick escape but still remain securely hidden.
And, our phone booth door is essentially waiting for its chance to star in a time-travel thriller, a CIA-anchored thriller or a ransom thriller — any story where someone needs to make an untraceable call, meet an informant or answer a ringing line at a certain time.
The options for custom secret doors are almost limitless, which is why cinematic inspiration can be helpful. Take note the next time recognizable theme songs come across the screen — because secret door inspiration may be just around the corner.
Learn more about our custom secret doors, including those that offer improved home security, here. Or contact our team to discuss specifications for a secret door you’re considering.
Creative Home Engineering, a Gilbert, Arizona-based company, is the global leader in designing and manufacturing secret doors. From swinging bookcases to sliding walls to rotating fireplaces and safe rooms, Creative Home Engineering has been an innovative leader in the field of hidden passageway design for more than 20 years. Learn more at www.hiddenpassageway.com.