Mind Bending Robert De Niro’s Psychological Horror Lost Streaming

By Robert Scucci
| Published 18 seconds ago

Sometimes, a psychological horror film has the perfect cast, but not the best screenplay in place to make the most of their talent. 2005’s 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 wild and paranoid energy in the face of some unknown source of horror. I can’t even fault it Hide and Seek for being poorly produced despite the film’s alleged budget constraints ($25 million is nothing to scoff at) because the cinematography is top-notch, effectively building up the suspense before things start to fall apart in the third act.

I am reminded of an industry phrase I learned while working with various sound engineers on musical projects over the years regarding high level production and talent when applied to common songwriting that I think applies to Hide and Seek. I mean, you can gloss over it all you want, but it’s still a piece of crap.

But it is Hide and Seek really all bad? Or is it just contrived and generic – which isn’t necessarily a scathing indictment in the right context – to the point where most seasoned horror fans think it’s a waste of time? The critical score of 13 percent onwards Rotten tomatoes says, but what is more significant is the 50 per cent score on the Popcornmeter, which suggests that Hide and Seek is a somewhat effective psychological thriller that is orders of magnitude better than what the critics would lead you to believe.

If I had to weigh, Hide and Seek in inventive and universal, but it’s a solid entry point for the casual horror fan.

Watch Out For Charlie

Hide and Seek introducing us to Dr. David Callaway (Robert De Niro), a psychologist who needs a fresh start with his daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning), after his wife, Allison’s (Amy Irving) suicide. Moving to New York, David unpacks his belongings in his study, and begins to put his life back together. Spending his nights listening to music and writing in his journal so he can make sense of the recent tragedy he and Emily suffered, David seems to be doing his best to let his daughter have a normal life after the horrible death of her mother.

Aside from David’s recurring nightmare involving the New Year’s Eve party when he last saw Alison alive, he seems to have it together, but quickly becomes unsettled by Emily’s new imaginary friend, “Charlie.” Being a psychologist, David has reason to believe that Charlie is a coping mechanism created by Emily so that she can process her grief. David’s theory seems valid until acts of violence – like the family cat being murdered even though it’s just David and Emily living alone – happen, 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 study, and the outcome of this seemingly innocent game always ends in violence. After befriending a local woman called 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, working through his own grief, does the fatherly thing by trying to help Emily work through her supposed delusions while becoming increasingly paranoid about Charlie, who is turning his life upside down.

Adequate Action, But Can’t Keep The Landing

Remember when I said that Hide and Seek contrived and generic, but well carried by his talent? I stand by my claim because Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning works convincingly through the premise, even if the script leads their characters to a painfully obvious conclusion and revelation. The “twist” ending aspires to be The Sixth Sensebut eventually we’ll get a derivative reveal that will leave you disappointed if you’re a frequent reader of Psychological Horror Airlines.

Most notably, Dakota Fanning has a stellar performance, which is made even more impressive when you consider that she was only 11 years old at the time. Hide and Seek discharge. Portraying a little girl tormented by a violent imaginary friend (or an unknown outsider 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 whenever Charlie shows up to make things worse. You’ll find yourself questioning whether she’s a manipulative little girl trying to pull one over on her dad, or really being tormented by Charlie, and the answer might surprise you if you leave your guard down.

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 Hide and Seek appear to be coming from a genuine place.

Watch Hide And Seek

Yes Hide and Seek deserve a critical score of 13 percent on Rotten Tomatoes? Not by a long shot. If anything, I’d consider this film a mid-tier and entry-level psychological horror flick that has its rightful place in the genre for casual viewers who haven’t yet been divorced from generic genre conventions.

Like this writing Hide and Seek not available on streamingwhich is a shame because it’s a perfectly low-stakes film with some brilliantly shot sequences that are truly unsettling. However, you can check the on-demand title through Google Play Movies, Apple TV+, Fandango at Homea Amazon Prime Video.