Hide and Seek (2005)

Robert De Niro is an excellent, beloved actor who never seems to be loved when he takes part in a horror movie. He's tried a few times over the years with films such as "Angel Heart" and "Mary Shelly's Frankenstein"; his performance in "Frankenstein" was panned so much that some critics could not understand why an actor who "does nothing but gangster films" be cast as the Monster. "Hide and Seek" is another film where the suspense and mood seem to never truly develop and the viewer is left bored and unsatisfied. I personally feel that this has more to do with the attempt to create a spooky psychological movie than De Niro's performance.


Dr. David Callaway and his daughter Emily move out to a quiet rural town after Emily's mother commits suicide. David and his daughter have a troubled relationship and he tries the best he can, using his background as a psychologist to make some kind of breakthrough. Emily begins talking about her friend "Charlie", whom David takes to be an imaginary friend. David's friend Katherine believes this is healthy, but when David finds angry messages written on the wall and the family cat drowned in the bath tub, Emily claims that"Charlie" did it. Soon "Charlie" becomes violent and David is powerless to find or stop Emily's dangerous friend. Will David and Katherine be able to save Emily from "Charlie" before it's too late?