By Robert Scucci | Published
Sometimes a psychological horror film has the perfect cast, but not the best storyline to make the most of its talent. 2005 years Hide and seek falls into this unfortunate category, as Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning truly bring their A-game through their tense performances full of frenetic, paranoid energy in the face of an unknown source of terror. I don’t even have anything to say Hide and seek for being poorly produced despite the film’s supposed budgetary restrictions ($25 million is nothing to scoff at) because the cinematography is top notch and actually increases the suspense before things start to fall apart in the third act.
I remember an industry phrase I learned while working with various audio engineers on music projects over the years as it relates to production and top-tier talent when applied to music. mediocre songwriting and that I think applies to Hide and seek. In other words, you can polish a turd all you want, but it’s still crap.
But is it Hide and seek really that bad? Or is it just contrived and generic – which isn’t necessarily a scathing indictment in the right context – to the point that most seasoned horror fans think it’s a waste of time? The 13 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes is telling, but what’s more telling is the 50 percent score on the Popcornmeter, suggesting that Hide and seek is a somewhat effective psychological thriller that is much better than the critics would have you believe.
If I had to weigh, Hide and seek East contrived and generic, but it’s a solid entry point for the casual horror fan.
Watch out for Charlie
Hide and seek introduces us 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 unpacks his belongings in his office and begins to piece his life together. Spending his evenings listening to music and writing in his journal to be able to make sense of the recent tragedy he and Emily have endured, it seems David is doing his best to allow his daughter to lead a normal life after the horrible death of his mother.
Aside from David’s recurring nightmare involving the New Year’s party where he last saw Alison alive, he seems to pull himself together, but is quickly disrupted by Emily’s new imaginary friend, “Charlie”. As a psychologist, David has reason to believe that Charlie is a coping mechanism created by Emily so she can deal with her grief. David’s hypothesis seems valid until acts of violence – such as the murder of the family cat while David and Emily live alone – occur, which Emily always blames on Charlie.
As the film’s title suggests, Emily loves to play hide-and-seek with Charlie whenever David is in his office, and the result of this seemingly innocent game always ends in violence. After befriending a local woman named Elizabeth (Elisabeth Shue), things escalate to the point of no return when Emily (and Charlie) invite him to play their twisted version of the game with them David, going through his own grief, acts fatherly by trying to help Emily overcome her supposed delusions while becoming increasingly paranoid about the ever-elusive, upsetting Charlie. his life.
Acted adequately, but failed to stick the landing
Do you remember when I said that Hide and seek is artificial and generic, but well carried by his talent? I stand by my assertion because Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning work convincingly on the premise, even as the storyline leads their characters to a painfully obvious conclusion and revelation. The end of the “twist” aspires to be The sixth sensebut we end up getting a spinoff reveal that will disappoint you if you’re a frequent flyer on Psychological Horror Airlines.
Most notably, Dakota Fanning turns in a stellar performance, which is all the more impressive considering she was only 11 years old at the time of Hide and seek release. Portraying a little girl tormented by an abusive imaginary friend (or by an unknown stranger pretending to be imaginary) is no easy task, and she convincingly conveys her sense of fear and confusion to the audience through her innocent exchanges with her worried father every time Charlie shows up. to make things worse. You’ll wonder if she’s a manipulative little girl trying to get after her father or if she’s really tormented by Charlie, and the answer might surprise you if you let your guard down.
I also can’t necessarily fault De Niro and Fanning for doing the best they could with what they were given, as the father/daughter dynamic in Hide and seek seems to come from a genuine place.
Watch hide and seek
East Hide and seek Does it deserve a 13 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes? Not by far. Rather, I would consider this film a mid-level, entry-level psychological horror film that has its rightful place in the genre for casual viewers who are not yet jaded by the genre’s generic conventions.
At the time of writing these lines Hide and seek is not available for streaming, which is a shame because it’s a perfect low-stakes film with some brilliantly shot and truly unsettling sequences. However, you can watch the title on demand via Google Play Movies, Apple TV+, Fandango at Home, and Amazon Prime Video.
