Written by Robert Scucci | Published
Sometimes, a psychological horror movie has a good cast, but not the best screenplay out there to make the most of their talent. in 2005 Hide and seek falls into this unfortunate category, as Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning really bring their A-game through their intense performances filled with incredible energy and paranoid in the face of some unknown source of fear. I can't even fault it Hide and seek because of the poor production despite the limitations of the film's alleged budget ($25 million is nothing to laugh at) because the film is high quality, and it builds suspense before things start to fall apart in the third act.
I'm reminded of an industry phrase I learned while working with various sound engineers on music projects over the years about high quality production and talent when applied to the average songwriting I think it applies to. Hide and seek. Which is to say, you can polish the turd all you want, but it's still a piece of crap.
But it is Hide and seek Is it really all that bad? Or is it so presumptuous and generic – not really a damning case in the right context – that many seasoned fans think it's a waste of time? A 13 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes is telling, but more telling is a 50 percent score on Popcornmeter, which suggests that Hide and seek it's an effective mind game that commands greater discipline than critics would lead you to believe.
If I had to measure, Hide and seek is something contrived and generic, but it's a solid entry point for casual horror fans.
Watch out Charlie
Hide and seek introducing him to Dr. David Callaway (Robert De Niro), a psychologist who needs a fresh start with his daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning), after the suicide of his wife, Allison (Amy Irving). Moving to upstate New York, David removes his belongings from his study, and begins to piece his life together. Spending his nights listening to music and writing in his journal to make sense of the recent tragedy he and Emily endured, it seems that David is doing his best to allow his daughter a normal life after her mother's tragic death.
Aside from David's recurring nightmare involving the New Year's Eve party where he last saw Alison alive, he seems put together, but quickly becomes irritated by Emily's new friend, “Charlie.” Being a psychiatrist, David has reason to believe that Charlie is a coping mechanism created by Emily so that she can process her grief. David's hypothesis seems to work until acts of violence – such as the family cat being killed even though David and Emily live alone – occur, with Emily always blaming Charlie.
As the title of the film suggests, Emily likes to play hide-and-seek with Charlie whenever David is in his study, and the result of this seemingly innocent game always ends in violence. After befriending a local woman named Elizabeth (Elisabeth Shue), things go from bad to worse when Emily (and Charlie) invite her to play their twisted version of the game with them. David, working through his grief, does a fatherly thing by trying to help Emily come to terms with her delusions as she becomes increasingly confused by the ever-falling Charlie, who has turned her life upside down.
It Took Action Properly, But Failed to Stick to Landing
Remember when I said that Hide and seek structured and familiar, but is it well carried by its talent? I stand my claim because Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning work convincingly with the premise, even if the screenplay leads their characters to a painfully obvious conclusion and revelation. The “twist” ending we wish to have The Sixth Sensebut we finally get some revelations that will leave you disappointed if you're a frequent flyer on Psychological Horror Airlines.
Most notably, Dakota Fanning has an impressive performance, made even more impressive when you consider that she was only 11 years old at the time of her birth. Hide and Seek's release. Portraying a little girl tormented by a violent psychic friend (or an unknown outsider pretending to be an imaginary person) is no easy feat, and she convincingly conveys her sense of fear and confusion to the audience through her innocent dialogue with her worried father whenever Charlie shows up. to make matters worse. You'll find yourself wondering if she's a sneaky little girl trying to pull one over on her dad, or if she's really being bullied by Charlie, and the answer might surprise you if you stop to notice.
I also can't fault De Niro and Fanning for doing the best they could with what they were given, because father/daughter is strong Hide and seek it seems to come from a real place.
Viewing Hide and Seek
Is it Hide and seek deserves a critical score of 13 on Rotten Tomatoes? Not by a long shot. If anything, I would consider this film to be a mid-range and entry-level psychological horror game that is well-suited to the type of casual viewers who aren't yet bogged down by the conventions of the genre.
As of this writing Hide and seek it's not available for broadcast, which is a shame because it's a low-quality film with some really weird great sequences. However, you can watch the title on demand through Google Play Movies, Apple TV+, Fandango at Home, and Amazon Prime Video.
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