Watch Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek is a psychological thriller from 2005, directed by John Polson and starring Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning and Famke Janssen. The movie begins with the tragic death of Emily, the wife of psychologist David Callaway (De Niro). David decides to move with his young daughter, Emily (Fanning), to a secluded house in upstate New York to start a new life. However, things take a dark turn when Emily creates an imaginary friend named Charlie.

Charlie seems to be a playful and friendly friend to Emily at first, but soon she becomes obsessed with him, spending all her time with him and excluding everyone else, including David. Meanwhile, strange and terrifying events begin to occur around the house, making David question his own sanity. Things get even worse when he finds disturbing drawings and notes that indicate that Charlie might not be as imaginary as he thought.

David tries to investigate the origin of Charlie's existence, and he starts to uncover disturbing secrets from his own past that he had repressed. He also begins to suspect that someone is playing a sick game with him and his daughter, manipulating them both to unravel his psyche.

As the mystery unfolds, the tension builds up and the viewer is left wondering who or what is really behind Charlie's disturbing actions. De Niro and Fanning deliver powerful and convincing performances that provide a solid anchor to the film's disturbing narrative.

The movie excels in creating a haunting atmosphere, mixing the natural beauty of upstate New York's scenery with dark and eerie tones. The director's use of shadows and clever camera angles maximizes the psychological impact of the story, and the music contributes to the ominous tension that permeates the entire film.

Furthermore, the movie also tackles several themes and motifs that are recurrent in the horror genre and that provide an extra layer of complexity to the story. The figure of the imaginary friend is a classic horror trope, and the film explores the ambiguity between fantasy and reality, creating a sense of unease that keeps the viewer on edge throughout the film.

Hide and Seek also explores the concept of the uncanny and the double, which is another fundamental element of horror. The idea of a doppelganger, a sinister version of oneself that threatens to take over, is central to the movie's plot and provides an unsettling and disturbing subtext to the story.

In conclusion, Hide and Seek is a compelling and disturbing psychological thriller that manages to keep the viewer on edge from beginning to end. The film's haunting atmosphere, powerful acting, and intricate narrative make it a compelling addition to the horror genre.

Hide and Seek is a 2005 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 41 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.9 and a MetaScore of 35.