Robert De Niro’s mind-bending psychological horror is missing from streaming
From Robert Scucci
| Published
Sometimes a psychological horror film has the perfect cast but not the best script to make the most of their talent. 2005s Hide and seek falls into this unfortunate category, as Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning really give it their all through their tense performances full of frenetic and paranoid energy in the face of an unknown source of terror. I can’t even find fault Hide and seek for being poorly produced despite the film’s supposed budget constraints ($25 million is nothing to scoff at) because the cinematography is top notch and effectively ratchets up the tension before it starts to fray in the third act.
I’m reminded of an industry saying that I’ve learned over the years working with various audio engineers on music projects, and that is in terms of high-level production and talent when applied to mediocre songwriting, which in my opinion after applies Hide and seek. That said, you can polish as much shit as you want, but it’s still a piece of crap.
But is Hide and seek really that bad? Or is it just so contrived and generic – which isn’t necessarily a damning indictment in the right context – that most veteran horror fans consider it a waste of time? The critical score is 13 percent Rotten tomatoes is telling, but what’s even more telling is the 50 percent reading on the popcorn meter that suggests it Hide and seek is a reasonably effective psychological thriller that is orders of magnitude better than critics would have you believe.
If I had to weigh up, Hide and seek Is Contrived and generic, but it’s a solid entry point for the casual horror fan.
Take care of Charlie
Hide and seek presents to us Dr. David Callaway before (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). David moves to upstate New York, unpacks his belongings in his study and begins to put his life back together. David spends his evenings listening to music and writing in his diary to make sense of the recent tragedy he and Emily experienced. It seems like David is doing his best to give his daughter a normal life after her mother’s horrific death.
Apart from David’s recurring nightmare surrounding the New Year’s Eve party when he last saw Alison alive, he works together again, but is quickly unsettled by Emily’s new imaginary friend “Charlie”. As a psychologist, David has reason to believe that Charlie is a coping mechanism created by Emily to help her process her grief. David’s hypothesis seems valid until acts of violence occur – such as the murder of the family cat, even though only David and Emily live alone – for which Emily always blames Charlie.
As the film’s title suggests, Emily loves to play hide-and-seek with Charlie when 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 escalate to the point of no return when Emily (and Charlie) invite her to play their twisted version of the game with them. David, dealing with his own grief, tries to help Emily deal with her perceived delusions, all the while becoming increasingly paranoid about the ever-volatile Charlie, who is turning his life upside down.
Acted appropriately, but the landing is unsuccessful
Remember when I said that Hide and seek is contrived and generic, but is carried well by his talent? I stand by my claim because Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning execute the premise convincingly, even as the script leads their characters to a painfully obvious conclusion and revelation. The “Twist” ending aspires to that The sixth sensebut in the end we get a derivative reveal that will disappoint you as a frequent flyer of Psychological Horror Airlines.
Dakota Fanning in particular gave an outstanding performance, which is even more impressive considering she was only 11 years old at the time Hide and seek release. Portraying a little girl tormented by a violent imaginary friend (or an unknown outsider pretending to be a fantasy) is no easy task, and she convincingly conveys her sense of fear and confusion to the audience through her innocent conversations her worried father whenever Charlie shows up to make things worse. You’ll wonder if she’s a manipulative little girl trying to outwit her father or if she’s really being tormented by Charlie, and the answer might surprise you if you’re not paying attention.
I also can’t necessarily blame De Niro and Fanning for doing the best they could with what they were given, because the father-daughter dynamic is there Hide and seek seems to come from a real place.
Watch hide and seek
Is Hide and seek deserves a critical rating of 13 percent on Rotten Tomatoes? Not by a long shot. If anything, I would consider this film to be a middle-grade and entry-level psychological horror film that has its rightful place in the genre for casual viewers not yet jaded by general genre conventions.
At the time of this writing Hide and seek is not available on Streamingwhich is a shame, because it’s a perfectly low-stakes film with some brilliantly shot sequences that are genuinely unsettling. However, you can view the title via if necessary Google Play Movies, Apple TV+, Fandango at homeAnd Amazon Prime Video.
