i don't need the light anymore: Hide and Seek (2005) review

Hide and Seek is a 2005 horror/suspense movie starring Robert de Niro and an 11-year old Dakota Fanning. What others think about it, as per August 2012, is as follows:

IMDB: 5.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 13%

I must say that those numbers don't really represent the quality of the movie - I found Hide and Seek a waaay above average horror flick, and am sure of not being the only one (for one, RT's audience vote is at 60%).

A fairly justified reason for not enjoying this movie is, obviously, the less than original premise of a small number of people (de Niro's character and his young daughter) moving to a rather distant old house and discovering that they might not be alone nor safe there. Indeed, there is a "seen this, expected that" feeling through a large portion of the movie (turning to a "ok, i did not expect exactly this to happen" towards the end); it's even kinda weird that such an overused premise gathered so much professionalism around it. But it did.

De Niro rarely fails, and miss Fanning is smashing in this role; and the execution of the movie deserves a lot of praise. The script, following the titular hide and seek both as a game between the girl and her new "friend" and as a way of people hiding their feelings and secrets (main character is a psychiatrist and both he and his daughter are recovering from the loss of girl's mother), flows nicely, and it manages to give the satisfaction of details falling into place as they pave the way to conclusion. The movie respects it's viewer and stays completely away from boo-scares, relying on a growing suspense; on a sense of fear rather then shock.

The excellent work of actors and the overall quality of the movie makes Hide and Seek excel above the level of average horror movies. The lack of originality may keep it from pleasing the more demanding enthusiasts of the genre, but Hide and Seek is still a highly recommended movie, more than enough to fill an empty evening.