Robert Scucci | Posted
Sometimes a psychological horror film may have the perfect cast, but not the best script to make the most of their talent. 2005s hide and seek Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning fall into this unfortunate category, as they truly bring their A-game in tense performances filled with frenzied, paranoid energy as they confront an unknown source of terror. I can’t even stop a mistake hide and seek What makes it poorly made despite the film’s budget limitations ($25 million is nothing to scoff at) is that the cinematography is top-notch and effectively ramps up the suspense before things fall apart in the third act.
When applied to what I consider mundane songwriting, I’m reminded of an industry phrase I’ve learned over the years working on music projects with a variety of audio engineers about high-level production and talent. hide and seek. That means you can clean your poop all you want, but it’s still trash.
but hide and seek Is it really that bad? Or is it so contrived and generic that most seasoned horror fans would consider it a waste of time? In the right context, it’s not necessarily a scathing indictment. A 13% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes is significant, but more important is a 50% score on Popcornmeter. hide and seek It’s a somewhat effective psychological thriller that’s much better than the critics would lead you to believe.
If I had to ask, hide and seek is It’s contrived and generic, but it’s a solid entry point for the casual horror fan.
be careful charlie
hide and seek We are introduced to Dr. David Callaway (Robert De Niro), a psychologist who needs a fresh start with his daughter Emily (Dakota Fanning) after his wife Allison (Amy Irving) commits suicide. After moving to upstate New York, David unpacks his belongings from his study and begins to put his life back together. Spending his evenings listening to music, writing in his diary, and trying to make sense of the recent tragedy he and Emily have suffered, David seems to be doing his best to give his daughter a normal life after her mother’s horrific death.
Aside from David’s recurring nightmares involving a New Year’s Eve party when he last saw Allison alive, he appears to have pulled himself together, but quickly becomes uneasy about Emily’s new imaginary friend, “Charlie.” David, a psychologist, has reason to believe that Charlie is a coping mechanism created by Emily to help her process her grief. David’s hypothesis appears to be valid until an act of violence occurs, such as the family cat being killed, despite David and Emily living alone, and Emily always blames Charlie.
As the film’s title suggests, Emily likes to play hide and seek with Charlie whenever David is in his study, and these seemingly innocent games always end in violence. After befriending a local woman named Elizabeth (Elizabeth Shue), things spiral out of control when Emily (and Charlie) invite her to play their twisted version of the game with them. David, who is working through his own grief, becomes increasingly paranoid about Charlie, who is turning his life upside down while doing the fatherly thing by helping Emily overcome her delusions.
Although they acted appropriately, they failed to prevent the landing.
I remember when I said that hide and seek It’s artificial and generic, but does it communicate well with that talent? I stand by my argument because Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning handle the premise convincingly, even if the screenplay leads their characters to painfully obvious conclusions and revelations. A ‘twist’ ending is the goal the sixth senseBut then we get a derivative reveal that will disappoint any frequent flyer of Psychological Horror Airlines.
In particular, Dakota Fanning gave an outstanding performance, which is even more impressive considering that she was only 11 years old at the time. hide and seek release Playing a young girl tormented by a violent imaginary friend (or an unknown outsider pretending to be an imaginary friend) is no easy task, and through her innocent conversations with her father, who worries every time Charlie shows, she makes the audience Convey your fears and confusion to others persuasively. It even makes the situation worse. You’ll wonder if she’s just a manipulative little girl trying to trick her dad, or if she’s really being tormented by Charlie. And if you let your guard down, the answer may surprise you.
Nor can we necessarily fault De Niro and Fanning for doing the best they could with what they were given. hide and seek It seems to come from a real place.
watching hide and seek
is hide and seek Does it deserve a 13% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes? Not in the long run. Rather, I think this is a middle-grade and entry-level psychological horror film that takes its rightful place in the genre for the average viewer who isn’t yet tired of common genre conventions.
At the time of writing this article hide and seek Not available on streaming. That’s a shame, because it’s a perfectly low-stakes film with some truly unnervingly brilliantly shot sequences. However, you can check out the title on demand through Google Play Movies, Apple TV+, Fandango at Home, and Amazon Prime Video.
