I don't want to play anymore (Hide And Seek (DVD))

Member Name: eggerman

Product:	Hide And Seek (DVD)
Date:	29/05/06 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting plot, very different ending

Disadvantages: Confusing at times

John Polson's "Hide and Seek" (2005) has you constructing a story from the very beginning.
Psychologist David Callaway (Robert De Niro, Analyse This/Meet The Parents) moves away to the countryside with his daughter Emily (Dakota Fanning, War of the Worlds/ Cat in the Hat)into an oversized house in a small village in order to help them forget the death of his wife (Amy Irving, Alias). Her death happens right at the start and is the trigger for the ensuing complications, so this is not a spoiler.

The families that live around them seem friendly at first, and there is a definite connection between these neighbours and Emily, which is never fully established.

As weird goings-on begin to happen in their household, David interrogates Emily as to who has been doing such things. Her response is always the same, and the culprit she reveals is her imaginary friend named Charlie. Emily and Charlie play games together, primarily hide and seek and this begins to unsettle David. He encourages her to right a diary in order to monitor her thoughts and feelings, while he himself keeps track of her behaviour.

Elisabeth Shue (Dreamer, Hollowman) plays a neighbour named Elizabeth. She aims to help David through this hard time, but as she and David grow closer, Emily's loneliness increases, and the mysterious happenings become more graphic.

I was not keen on the ending, but I am not sure why. It was unexpected, different and challenging, and I would hate to have seen anything else. Perhaps it was a little early in the film to find out, as there is still a lot of time left.

Do not read in between the stars if you have not seen the film as it is almost a PLOT SPOILER
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I am unsure of the importance of the creepy neighbours. Why did they have such a fixation upon saying how beautiful Emily is, and who drew the pictures in her diary if it wasnt her who was conducting all of the morbid actions?
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Overall this film has the makings of a great thriller. A creepy basement, an unknown killer, a house big enough for twenty people that only inhabits two, one police officer for the entire village, and a great plot twist somewhere towards the end. Although a little slow in some places, there is very little I can fault this film for. Some great casting and spooky sets make for some top notch scares. Worth a watch for a late night fright.

Runtime: 101 minutes
Language: English
Certification: UK-15 USA-R Ireland-18

Summary: Spooky thriller without the gore