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Hide and Seek (2005)

Director: John Polson

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Movie review

From Time Out London

Not content with ‘Godsend’, Robert De Niro stars in another hokey horror thriller about a creepy kid. Dakota Fanning digresses from her cute blonde stereotype to play sinister, ashen-faced brunette Emily, whose father David (De Niro) decides a remote house adjoining spooky woods is just the place to get over her mother’s death. But Emily’s mysterious new friend ‘Charlie’ starts daubing threatening messages on the walls, drowning the cat, and worse. Is Charlie Emily’s traumatised alter ego?
Don’t answer that. In fact, don’t even think about it because if you do, you’ll guess the ending of this film, rendering the preceding hour or so practically pointless. Fanning’s performance is strong, and there’s some dark comedy in Emily’s perpetually doom-ridden countenance, humorously ignored by cooing locals. And De Niro, of course, could do this in his sleep. But the traditions of the genre are upheld so loyally, and the conclusion signalled so clearly, that this could almost be mistaken for an unscary spoof.

Author: AS

Time Out London Issue 1801: February 23-March 2 2005


User reviews of this film

  • becky said...
    Posted on Jun 08 2010 16:17 the film isgood however as it expresses feelings and morals that people choose to ignore in every day life.
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